


The Stray Cat

by 4TAE



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, M/M, Slow Build, heart wrenching cuteness, more precisely talking cats, this is NOT BESTIALITY okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-01-06 10:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 34,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1105987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4TAE/pseuds/4TAE
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A stray cat finds solace in the gentle hands of a human man. </p><p>The cat didn't like humans very much, until he found himself wanting to become one.<br/>The man never knew he had a soft spot for cats, until he met this one particular cat- that talked.</p><p>Modern AU with talkingcat!Eren. Rating may change.<br/>(5/6/15) temp hiatus- I'm having my beta look this over before I continue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the cat and the dreadful cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is not a normal cat.

**i.**

**intro.**

 

When he woke up, he couldn’t recall anything about his past. 

He spent the first few days cooped up in a ragged cardboard box, trying to dig--  _force_ memories to surface. He didn’t make any progress, but he did manage to recall what he assumed was his name- Eren. 

He spent the next few weeks lurking around for survival necessities, living off of scraps that fell from overflowing trashcans- though later on he began to adapt to the process of stealing- telling himself that it was just a temporary fix. 

All his willpower was directed to survival. Whether it was food or shelter, no matter what it was, Eren never went down without a fight. He racked up an impressive number of battle scars from his quarrels with other cats, and although it severely debased his appearance, he couldn’t help but feel proud knowing that he had fought and  _lived._   

Whenever Eren tried to communicate with any cats he encountered, their language was strangely foreign, resembling garbles of random nonsense. Then Eren would speak, and the cat would hiss and run away. After several repeats of the same encounter, he came to know that he didn’t fit in with other cats- that _he_ was the one speaking nonsense. 

A few weeks later, after overhearing the busy conversations in the streets, he realized that he understood humans- and that their language sounded strangely similar to his own. 

Somehow, Eren wasn’t surprised. 

 

Weeks turned into months, and a miserable year passed just like that. Eren still didn't know anything besides his name and the undeniable fact that he was a talking cat.

 

* * *

 

The streets were extremely jolly at this time of year; red and green streamers looped and twisting themselves into strange knots that adorned the dull, leafless trees that lined the street. Lights twinkled everywhere, a strange myriad of colors that mixed and glittered into white. It blinded Eren, who was used to darker, inkier shades of black and gray. 

He screwed his face up in an effort to loosen his facial muscles, which were frozen numb. His nose was particularly cold, moist with melted snowflakes. The frigid air bit at him from all sides. Even his tail sagged behind, heavy from ice particles clinging onto the very roots of his fur. As a stray, days like this were common, yet he never got used to them. 

It was cold, and Eren couldn't even muster up the strength to shiver properly. Little beads of water dropped from his whiskers with every irregular tremble of his body, but he wasn’t sure whether it was from the chilly weather or from his own weak joints starting to give out. Maybe it was a combination of both.  Besides the fact that he probably looked downright miserable, he was also aware of his empty stomach, which uttered low groans of complaint from days of neglect. The emptiness made him feel wobbly.  

Now that he thought about it, his last meal was a measly portion of a left over breakfast waffle. It was hard and dry; each bite was almost painful to swallow, but he managed to eat at least half of it before it was snatched away by pesky rat. He could have chased the rat. Instead, he just stared at its gray body skittering away, tail moving in crazy directions, turning its head in a mocking smile, waffle in tow… How long ago was that? He reckoned it was almost two weeks ago. Since then, he lived off of nibbles of crumbs on the floor and when times were desperate, grass ( _eugh_ ). It tasted bland and turned his tongue a nasty shade of green. But he survived, and that was all that mattered. 

His sensitive ears could detect a faint hum of jolly tunes accompanied with ringing bells and soulful voices, accompanied with a few excited shouts of children having a snow fight, and some mindless laughter and high-pitched giggles. Snow, there was snow too. It was about a few inches tall, enough for boots to make a satisfying _crunch!_ with every step, tinted with various colors from the colored lights. For Eren, it was a difficult substance to walk through. Each time he sunk his paw into the snow, it came out drenched with icy water and bits of gravel dug in between his sensitive paw pads. The pads were beginning to turn a shade darker, bitten with bruises. 

It was all very beautiful, Eren was sure. Without the lights, it would have been a carpet of pure white. But this street, filled with holiday cheer, was something Eren disliked. He hated the whole light fiasco and the amount of people that would stomp on his tail, not even realizing their fault as they walked away with their arms tucked happily into someone else’s.  

He strolled along the streets, jostling against the flood of holiday shoppers, steps careful and deliberate as to not get lost in the chaos. Slipping between people clad in fleece mittens and overcoats, Eren darted to his goal, the glossy shop at the end of the street where little rosy-faced children had huddled in front, their faces pressed to the window. They _oohed_ and _aahed_ at the luscious red candy apples, assorted rainbow taffy, cotton candy so light and fluffy, and at the drizzles of chocolate streaking down freshly baked waffle cones.  

The store door opened and a few customers walked out. _Do or die, Eren_ , his stomach reminded himself.

Seizing the chance, Eren lunged forward, darting in between the customers legs as he attempted to dash into the store. He barely managed to squeeze past the rapidly closing door.  

Inside, it was heaven. Lollipops, sugar drops, and wafers-  _oh, a chocolate fountain_ …- Eren swallowed painfully. The treats looked and smelled absolutely delectable, and he blinked furiously at the myriad of bright colored candies, stunned. He momentarily relaxed at the sweet smell of baked bread, before a small gust of warmth ruffled the cat's fur, enough to make him aware of his freezing paws, sticky with mud, and dripping, matted fur.  

A burly man – presumably an employee judging by his striped uniform- marched up to the cat, broom in his hands. Eren’s tail gave a small shake at the employee’s appearance, and he was instantly alert.

"Get out, you filthy-!" The man continued threatening Eren, dangerously lowering the broom. Eren scowled, but cautiously took a step back, his gaze shifting back and forth between the man and various sweets, debating which one would be the best catch. Cotton candy would melt, taffy was too messy to carry, and god forbid it was way too risky to grab the crepe sitting by the cashier.

Panicking, Eren settled for a half-eaten waffle cone sitting on a table. He leapt up and grabbed the crepe in between his teeth. Eren didn’t back down, and neither did the man, who was breathing heavily, muttering, “Seriously, the pest control team was called in just a few months ago, but all these thieving strays just keep wandering back. Stupid things just won’t learn their lesson.”

 Eren stumbled back to the edge of the table, hissing furiously at the broom-wielding man. He widened his mouth in a hostile snarl. His claws were scraped past the edge of the table and he faltered, nearly falling, but he managed to keep a relatively firm grip by planting himself lower on the table. 

“Disgusting vermin! Out of my store!” 

It came down. Eren involuntarily yelped in pain, wincing as he felt the broomstick’s impact at his shoulder. He heaved a big breath at the aching pain exploding at his joints. Feeling dizzy at the sudden force, his jaws slacked- and he dropped the waffle cone onto the floor. 

 _Shit._ Eren glanced down at the fallen waffle.

Unfortunately for the poor cat, that extra second cost him greatly. He barely had a second to register the pain wracking his body before the broom mercilessly came down again. The impact sucked all the air out of Eren, and the cat crumpled into a vulnerable lump on the table. He felt a familiar rush of panic and defeat, but still couldn't will himself to leave. There was something golden and trophy-like about the waffle, an effect that starvation had, and Eren simply couldn't bear to walk away without at least something proper to eat.

Despite all this, the angry man raised the broom once more- and that one motion was all it took for the cat to immediately step back.  _To hell with the waffle_ , Eren moaned to himself in despair. 

He scrambled off the table, letting out a pained cry when he fell on the floor at with his leg at a twisted angle. Hoisting himself up, Eren turned and ran.

By the time he successfully fled from the store, he was so hungry, so exhausted, so cold - there was no more strength in his body, and all he wanted to do was close his eyes and succumb to the darkness. Some people pointed at him and muttered “Poor thing”, but no one lent a helping hand. Wretched, awful things they were. _Humans_. Even the word itself tasted bitter and too sour on the cat's tongue.

He took flight away from the street. Each leap was painful; a thousand needles shot through his paws and into his stressed limbs. By tomorrow, there would be a hulking, purple bruise by his sides. He could already feel it throbbing with painful sensation. 

He ran and ran, muscles crying in protest at the burning pain that slowly spread, but he didn't stop. No, he kept running, even when he knew he was at least several blocks away from the store. 

Running made him feel free, and he _almost_ forgot about his hunger and shivering body- until he found his limbs jerking around in odd directions. 

With no control over his arms and legs, he wobbled around unsteadily. Eren tried to pull himself together, but his brain was a total mess. The ground was shaking- it undulated like untamed waves, and Eren was no longer steady on his feet- now that he thought about it, where was he going? He couldn’t see anything, his limbs were no longer listening to him, and the world was caving in. Foggy haze entered the corner of his eyes, and the metal trashcan in front of him bent into a thousand shards of a kaleidoscope.  

He stretched out his weak paws, hoping to reach some stable ground, but it crumbled under his grasp. His head ached badly, blackness starting to clot his vision, and he let out a strained gasp, because he was falling. 

Eren stumbled head-on into a hard surface- rough cement, and his ears flattened in pain. He inhaled harshly as noise washed away from the world. His legs shook. The world was flipping. His mind was dully buzzing, but it slowly faded into nothingness. It was quietly peaceful, yet eerie. He bitterly laughed to himself. 

Why couldn’t he just live peacefully? 

Why was life so hard for him? 

“Can you all just leave me alone,” Eren muttered aloud. “Shit, why can’t I just…” 

To be honest, he didn’t think he would care about dying anymore. _Even death would be better than living like this._  

If only he could lay his head to rest, and free himself of all worries… 

So he did exactly that, and Eren felt himself falling sideways, hurtling towards the ground. 

 

 **xxx**  

Eren recalled the first time he ate grass.

Grass was enchanting the first time Eren saw it; it glimmered with dew in cold mornings, the vivid color standing out among its stark surroundings. In Eren's imagination, it would taste crisply refreshing, and maybe even have a zing of sunlight, whatever sunlight tasted like.

His hopes crashed and burned the first time he took a mouthful. 

Grass tasted bitter. And made his tongue green, Eren grudgingly thought. He’d rather not have grass again.

  **xxx**

 

When Eren opened his eyes halfway, he was utterly confused, and he clung onto the slumber that was disappearing as he gradually awakened. 

Heaven, Even sleepily thought. _I’ve arrived in heaven. I guess I’ve finally died, after weeks- no months- of living in a hellhole.  I wish I didn’t die in such an anticlimactic way though. But on the bright side, maybe they’ll actually have decent food here._  

The cat forced his heavy lids fully open. He arose to cream-colored walls, a welcoming heat, a faintest scent of chlorine and citrus, and a man sitting in the corner. 

Eren stilled. Man sitting in the corner? 

The cat's mouth drew itself into a firm frown upon noticing that he wasn't alone.

A man sat on a couch, one leg crossed over the other, hands resting on his lap. The first thing Eren noticed was the man's piercing, obsidian eyes that stood out starkly from his pale skin. They were dark and shadowy and glimmering with a sharpness that could rival the gaze of a prowling panther. They showed nothing; it didn't glint cautiously nor did it reveal any emotion.  It was nothing like Eren's own viridescent orbs- the man’s eyes were simply a flat shade of pure black. Paired with a sharp nose and fine-tuned details such as the gracefully arched eyebrows and fine, alabaster skin, Eren was sure he was face to face with some otherworldly creature under the thin disguise of a human being.

The man’s bottom lip twitched as little bits of grime from the ragged cat’s fur fell onto his floor, and said in a tight tone, “I’d appreciate it if you’d get your dirty mop of fur off my floor.”

Eren’s eyes widened to comical proportions. He was in a _human_ 's house! It took him less than a second to clumsily scramble up, sheathe his claws in a warning and he lower his head to look at the man from behind his thick eyelashes. Even though he was exhausted, he did his best to remain calm, muscles rippling through the graceful arch in his back as he maintained an intimidating posture. Unfortunately, all the days of nonstop took a toll on his joints, rushing back in the form of weakness, and the cat awkwardly slumped back to his curled position on the floor from his momentary lapse of weakness.

Just his luck, he bitterly thought. Eren tried to peel himself off the floor again, but failed miserably. He lay helplessly on the floor, legs and arms splayed out in awkward angles, tail tucked between his legs protectively. _Fuck_ \- Eren cursed. Well, getting up and fleeing was no longer an option. No, now he'd have to deal with the human.

“You have to be kidding me.” The man said lowly. “Don’t even think about dying. I don’t want any rotting corpses in here.” 

 _I'm not dying_ , Eren wanted to yell. Despite the man’s threats, Eren’s eyelids had slowly started to close again. He tried to force them open, but they felt as heavy as a one-ton bag of lead stones. His entire body was weighed down by an invisible force, the exhaustion rendering him unable to move in any way besides the short, jerky motions that the cat was feebly attempting to do. In a mad moment, Eren thought that perhaps he could die _here_. He couldn't walk, and no way in hell was he going to ask the human for help, and the human was probably plotting his demise anyways. At least dying in a house would be more satisfying than dying in the streets. 

His train of depressing thoughts was cut short by a tired sigh. “Shit, Hanji must be piss drunk for bringing you here in the first place.” The man paused to pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation, bitterly thinking of how Hanji- _that annoying woman_ , he groaned- had knocked at his door at midnight with the largest, wide-toothed smile he had ever seen her have. The man recalled how she invited herself inside, eyes wide and panting for her breath. Jesus Christ, he had expected her to have some turn of the century discovery or some shit, but then she held up her hand, and showed him this- this wet, sloppy rag of a cat. Then she leaned over to dramatically whisper, “It’s a talking cat.” 

Needless to say, the man kicked her out immediately and told her she was drunk. Which she was, obviously, because her cheeks were redder than ripe tomatoes. Before she wobbled away, she literally tossed the cat into his arms, grinning, ‘take care of him’. 

The man rubbed his temples tiredly. “Coming here at midnight to drop off this- this dirty thing while claiming that _it talks_. Complete bullshit, if you ask me.” 

Eren froze. He sat up in surprise, his limbs screaming in protest at his sudden movement. _Impossible, how could I..._ His breath hitched and he nervously blinked, pretending that he hadn’t heard. He squeezed his paws against the wooden floor, and looked at the man as innocently as possible. His mind, however, was a total mess. He screwed up big time. 

Eren gave a stuttering purr and prayed that he looked like he had no idea what the man was talking about. 

The man heaved himself off the couch and walked towards the cat. Eren glanced up at him warily with bright, emerald eyes that didn’t quite fit in with his nut-brown fur, his eyes glinting with an emotion akin to anger. The cat's eyes were usually unnaturally large, but now they were narrowed into snake-like slits, watching the man with a pointed glare. 

Eren inwardly panicked and briefly squeezed his eyes shut as the man came closer and closer until his feet was a meter away from Eren’s limp body. The cat nervously flicked his tail back and forth in an agitated motion. 

Unfortunately for the poor cat, the man didn't stop there, but instead walked closer and bent down, his face now mere centimeters away from Eren’s.

By now, Eren's poor heart was thumping so erratically he started to feel light-headed from forgetting to breathe. Eren’s anxiousness clumped together into small pulses that made his tail and whiskers flinch every few seconds, and he hissed as he tried to control his jerky movements. The cat had to summon all his self-control to refrain from lunging out and foolishly running away, or worse, clawing at the man's face.

Suddenly, the man snapped his fingers millimeters from the cat's face. Shocked, Eren jumped up on reflex. The man raised both of his eyebrows in a pleasant manner at the cat's reaction. 

Eren skittishly retreated to his former position on the ground, an evident scowl plastered on his face. The urge to get up and flee far, far away sounded more delectable by the second. He bared his sharpest, canine teeth, _daring_ the man to come closer at the risk of getting a nasty bite.

The man followed Eren as the cat scooted farther and farther away. “What are you so jumpy for?” Once Eren’s back was firmly pressed to a wall, the man leaned down and wrinkled his nose distastefully. “God damn, you really need a shower. I thought you looked pretty bad, but up close- there’s mold growing on the very tip of your tail." 

The man’s face warped even further in repulse as he loudly said, “You look and smell like a sewer rat.”  

The bundle of nervousness suddenly unclasped itself at the crude words-

\- and before he could stop himself--  

“I do not!” Eren loudly hissed, before realizing his mistake.

And then with a twinge of hysteria, " _Shit_."  

 

 

 


	2. the cat and the wintry moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren chickens out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- revision progress at 60% -

 

**ii.**

 

 

The man's fingers twitched in a sudden spasm, because the cat--

\--  _it talked_. 

At the sudden realization of what the cat had just done, the man's eyes widened a fraction of a centimeter, and he cursed so quietly that even the cat's sensitive ears failed to catch his utterance _._

 

On the other hand, Eren was no better than the surprised man; he was a major mess.

Eren clamped his mouth shut so tightly that he swore he could feel his jaw popping out of its sockets. The words had slipped out so silkily that Eren had a hard time acknowledging he actually talked, and to a human nonetheless. He huddled into a predatorily position, with his back arched and sharp claws digging into the ground. His body started to shake- not with fear, but with anger at how easily he was provoked. He clenched his teeth together, and the the rusty taste of blood pervated through his mouth. He forced his jaws open and closed them again, desperately searching for an excuse. 

Why did he fall for that? He'd been insulted countless times before. A sickly feeling grew in him as he remembered that humans were unwelcoming of strange creatures like him; he would be taken away, researched on, dissected... He would be treated as an experiment, and he would never be able to live as a free cat again. Bile started to rise up in his throat, and he gagged.

Eren forced himself to glimpse at the man, wondering what the man was feeling; horror or astonishment? Contradicting all of Eren's expectations, which involved the man possibly pulling his hair out and manically screaming ‘it talks!’, the man did not have any change in demeanor. The man merely raised an eyebrow in an almost triumphant manner, and looked quite unaffected- if the man was surprised, he was certainly good at masking it, for his face was all a blank slate except for the pair of black, calculating eyes.

“So it talks,” The man expressionlessly stated. His voice was soft, almost eerily calm. The man's unperturbed reply gave way to an unsettling feeling within Eren. 

He was going to be sick.

His stomach was turning over, and the cat swallowed thickly, blinking rapidly in apprehension.  _Maybe the man will have the memory span of a goldfish, and he’ll forget all about it after today,_ he prayed. Eren was still vainly holding onto his last strand of hope. The cat started to wring his paws in a circular motion, desperate for something to distract the man.  If only a flowerpot fell and hit the man on his head, Eren wistfully thought.

Eren chewed at the inside of his mouth as he debated the choices he had left. He could run out of the window, but that was just running towards his own death. There was still considering the option of staying silent. That would be a foolish idea, considering there wasn't anything to cover up his talking. If the television was on, it would be a different story, because then Eren could argue the words came from the electronic device. Hell, playing mute would probably work if the man was half-asleep or had a bad case of coughs, because then man would just assume he was hearing things. But no, the man in front of him was alert, awake, and looked very much healthy.

Eren gritted his teeth in frustration, unable to escape from his agitation. How was he going to get out of this?   

Surprising himself, Eren spoke up first. He began to speake in a controlled, recalcitrant tone, and with some iron willpower managed to keep his voice tinged with a malice. "What do you want?"

The man blinked. Now that the cat spoke again, the man observed that its voice sounded completely like a human's, just a bit higher-pitched and soft. He expected it to be the whiny voice that little girls used when they played with their dolls, but this cat definitely didn't sound like that. Its quiet voice resembled more of a young boy.  "What I want?" The man quietly answered. "Nothing, really."

 _Lies._ Eren didn't believe the man for a second. “I’m a talking cat, which you know, isn't  _normal_.” 

"Perhaps," The man calmly responded. "Perhaps it isn't normal, and while I'm surprised, why the fuck would I be scared of a talking cat? I admit that I never believed talking cats exist, but it’s not like talking cats are _impossible_.” 

Eren scrunched his face into a doubtful expression. A human, seeing a talking cat as a simple abnormality, but not to the point of posing a danger? That couldn't be. Through his time spent on the streets, he knew all about how paranoid human beings could be; they took up any chance to eradicate any defects that opposed the norm, involving killing or restraining animals that could potentially kill a human (which was absolute bullshit, Eren thought, not every single cat or dog in the world carried rabies), and sometimes ostracizing humans like themselves- it was all utterlydisgusting, how they pretended to care but were only concerned with their own race. The cat gracefully raised his eyebrow, lifting himself a bit higher. "I think you're lying," Eren spat with absolute conviction. 

The man rolled his eyes and sighed as if he was dealing with a terribly unruly child. “You can think whatever you like. You’re a cat that can talk like a human. So what? It’s up to others to decide if they want to be scared or whatever, but in a world where we know less than one percent about, a talking cat isn't anything to piss in my pants for.”

Eren's eyes snapped open, and his lower lip curled down into a sneer, blood steadily dribbling down from the nasty gash across his mouth. This man had to be crazy, if not just mentally unstable.

He flicked his rail high in the air as he lowered his body, looking ready to pounce at any moment. Eyeing the man with a piercing glare, Eren hissed, "You're insane."

"So I've been told," The man shrugged with perfect composure.

Just look at me." Eren motioned to himself. "A. Talking. Cat."

"I see that." The man's pitch black eyes revealed nothing, but there was an odd tone of sincerity in the man's words, enough to make Eren flounder. "Besides, I don't lie."

It was spoken softly, yet spoken with firm conviction. It created a small ripple of doubt in Eren's mind. _Stupid, stupid me,_ Eren angrily thought as he pressed his lips into a thin line. He was too easily convinced.

Eren refocused his eyes on the man. "So..." Eren whispered, words laced with suspicion. "You're not going to turn me in?"

"To?"

Eren huffed, "Researchers or scientists... or the animal pound?"

There was a moment of silence.

The man cocked his head at the shaking cat, who avoided meeting his eyes at all costs. The man's eyes glinted with mirth, as if he was inwardly smirking at the talking cat before him. "I wasn't planning on it. Why, you want me to?"

The cat's jaws parted in shock. "No!" Eren shouted and immediately shot up, his voice quivering at the very end. Eren began to roar in accusation, "You-" before he was stopped by a low chuckle from the man.

The  _audacity_  of this man! Eren was furious. The man was toying with him. Did the man find his reactions humorous? Pushing aside all thoughts of how despicable humans were, and how this man certainly added to his hate of humans, Eren started preening his fur in the prettiest fashion he could manage (which honestly, the man found awkward looking  due to the cat’s wounded legs and arms and crooked tail, not to mention his fur was horrendous). 

"Don't turn me in," Eren pleadingly mewled softly in saccharine tones and impishly batted his eyelashes, trying his best to ignore the burning feeling of shame for his embarrassing display. It was a cat's most common weapon, yet Eren could never get over how utterly shameful it was. Effective, yes. But it took a huge hit to Eren's pride, having to adoringly blink up at the man in a - Eren internally gagged- cutesy manner. 

Evidently, the man agreed, much to Eren's chagrin.

“Hell no,” The man’s frowned. “Why are you- don’t look at me like that. It's disgusting.” 

Eren repressed an angry snarl but hissed in attempt at a retort. His act of cuteness dissolved into one of malice as the cat repeated his earlier statement, only this time it was said with an impassioned threatening," _Don't you_ _fucking_   _dare_ _turn me in_."

The man's lips curled upwards. "That's more like it."

Amused. The man was amused. Eren couldn't think of any other time he had felt more disgraced.

“Don’t be so damn noisy, there’s no need to screech like a dying cat.” The man paused, before realizing his ironic use of the simile. His lips spread mere centimeters wider in what Eren assumed to be the smallest coy smile. “Well, even if you’re a dying cat, just know that screaming isn’t going to help you in your final moments.” 

“Final moments? What is that supposed to mean? And are you _blind_ \- I'm not dying nor am I screeching.” 

“Convincing, coming from a cat that looks like it's been run over by a lawnmower,” the man dryly replied, finally straightening up and putting some space between him and Eren. “Wait right here.”

The man wordlessly disappeared from the room before Eren could argue that he most certainly did not look like he was run over by a lawnmower. When the man left the vicinity, the tightest strings of tension snapped, and Eren let out a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding. He winced; his limbs hurt more than before, even more so after holding himself in a tense position while being questioned by the man. It was the perfect chance to run away, but now Eren bet he couldn't even muster the strength to leap out of the open window.

He let a miserable groan before collapsing onto the floor in a heap. Never in his life had he felt so tense or endangered. Not even the burliest of cats or angriest broom-wielding shopkeepers had raised his hackles this much. He had plenty of times when he imagined what would happen if he was caught by a human, but none of those imagined scenarios came close to this reality. It disturbed him- Eren was thinking along the lines of a more violent, more action-filled kind of encounter, and waking up in the house of a human that was infuriatingly hard to deal with was certainly _not_ an encounter Eren had hypothesized.

But again, nothing really followed Eren's expectations. His thoughts tended to exaggerate themselves. Years on the street taught him that he was a bit too rash, maybe a bit to quick to assume, and perhaps turned to violence more than was required, and last of all, that he always seemed to run into the unexpected. 'Expect the unexpected' was one human quote that Eren was quick to agree with. But there was a lingering voice in the back of Eren's mind that told him he _didn't want_ to expect the unexpected. And thus, he always found himself in these situations.

The man reappeared in front of Eren, who sprang back up defensively. The man bent down and smoothly put something down on the floor. Immediately Eren's breath hitched, preparing himself to come face to face a cage or a contraption of steel bars, maybe even a cloth soaked in chloroform, but-

A bowl.

It was a fucking bowl, shiny and plastic.

Eren blankly stared at the bowl, his anticipation long gone. He was so stunned that he didn't notice the substance that was in the bowl.

"For effort," the man said with ease. "You look like you haven't eaten anything in years. At least not real food, I'd expect."

He snapped his head back up at the man, but quickly looked down again.

Eren was speechless.

No words could describe how nice it smelled- comparable to the candy shop he was thrown out of earlier today- no, Eren thought, it was even better. The real thing that he had only dreamed of was sitting right in front of him.

Chicken. Wonderful, heaven-blessed, _real_ _chicken_.  

It was then that Eren realized how starved he was. His jaw dropped open as the smell hit his scent glands, and oh dear lord, Eren was sure he was going to faint from the rich scent that permeated from the meat. 

A quick burst of doubt spread through Eren. But what if it was all a trap? A feeling of fear stole over his body. He still couldn't trust the man so easily, Eren reminded himself. There were countless humans that Eren faced before that tried to bait him with food and other goods. They would wait until he was happily indulging in the food or treat, and then try to knock him out with some form of anesthesia, which was dumb, because Eren had quicker reactions than normal cats and evaded the anesthesia with ease. He eventually learned that humans couldn't be trusted, no matter what. It was a firm rule, set in stone within Eren's mind. Eren reluctantly snapped his mouth closed, preventing his drool from dangling out. 

"This is a trap, isn't it." It came out as an accusing statement rather than a question. Eren sneaked a longing glance at the chicken, but painfully pulled away, reminding himself to be careful. "You mixed drugs into the food, and as soon as I get absorbed into eating you're going to catch me and turn me in." 

The cat looked up at the man distrustfully. The man snapped, "For fucks sake, are you going to eat it or not? Get on with it if you are. I'm not going to turn you in, so stop being a literal scaredy-cat. Besides, it's not like turning you in would put me in a good spot either." 

"Really?"

"What, you want an oath signed in blood?" 

Eren looked at the man squarely in the eyes. No, no, he still couldn't trust this man. He began to circle the bowl in a careful manner. "No, but how do I know that I can trust you?" Eren demanded.

The man looked fully irritated now, impatiently tapping his fingers on his crossed arms as he replied, "You don't. It's up to you. I don't have time to deal with your shitty trust issues, so get them sorted and decide whether you want to eat or starve to death."

It was blunt. Short. An almost obvious explanation. Yet, Eren knew that the man was right- he had no way of knowing whether the man could be trusted or not. As much as he wanted to reject the bowl, his nose was constantly twitching as the smell hit his nose like the scent of roses in a junkyard. Eren's throat felt dry and scratchy as he swallowed, imagining what the chicken bits would feel like sliding down his throat.

No, there was  _no way_  he was going to accept this suspicious bowl of food, but no matter how hard he tried to hold himself back, he couldn't shake off feelings of temptation and need. He was painfully torn between his own hunger and his resolution to be wary of the human. 

He must not fall, no he must keep his pride tall, why should he accept food from this suspicious man-

Then, Eren's knees immediately buckled as his resolution came crumbling down, defeated by his hunger. The temptation was too great, and the cat hardly realized that his muzzle was ducked halfway into the bowl. The waves of delight from tasting the glorified chicken were enough to send the cat's legs into a wobbly mess. Eren despairingly moaned to himself, but willed himself to think of nothing but happiness when he quickly lapped up the meal.

It was warm, Eren immediately realized- the chicken was soaked in warm water. Crumbs stuck to his cheeks and trembling whiskers as he eagerly lapped it up, quenching his thirst and filling him up with a fuzzy and comfortable feeling. It tasted of velvet clouds, an indescribable but soothing flavor that overwhelmed him. His expression transposed into one of pure satisfaction. As cheesy as it sounded, he felt like the warm mush was breathing life back into his lethargic body. 

After quickly finishing half of the bowl, Eren waited, expecting the uncomfortable feeling of sleeping drugs to overcome his body. But nothing came, much to the cat's surprise, and so he continued to eat with enthusiasm. Maybe the man was telling truth, that he really wouldn't turn in Eren. _Maybe, just maybe_ , a small voice in the back of Eren's mind murmured contemplatively, before the cat let the foggy feeling of satisfaction cloud up his mind. 

Meanwhile, the man analyzed Eren with a mixture of interest and disapproval. The man had never seen such a messy eater before. He regarded Eren's body with a careful eye, noticing how the bones around the cat's ribcage jutted out in noticeable bumps, how the cat's fur was uneven and patchy, and how scarily  _thin_  it was. The cat's tail looked frail, just like a thread that could easily break. The man bet that he could easily crush the cat's tail in between his index finger and thumb. The cat was obviously starving, judging by its terrible eating manners. It was slobbering all over the bowl, and the speed it at which it was devouring the soaked chicken was monster-like. 

Eren looked up, about to thank the man. Nothing from the streets could compare to this bowl of chicken, and a gratified Eren was on the verge of deciding that he liked the man.

"You're rather shameless." 

-yeah, no, Eren changed his mind- he _hated_ this man. Yes, he knew he was shameless and rash, but still!

The cat nearly choked as he tried to force out some incoherent replies. He was too hungry to argue back, but that was incredibly uncalled for!- and totally rude, Eren growled.  _What an ass_. Eren’s tail whipped up and he couldn’t help but growl to himself for being such a  _dolt_  at thinking a stranger, a human, would be that kind. 

The man leaned in and stared at Eren with his narrowed eyes. Eren thought they were angry eyes, by the way they were narrow and severe, and glinted with a steely coldness. 

“Disgusting brat.” 

“I’m not a brat, nor am I disgusting,” Eren stated defensively, fisting his paw and using it to brush off any crumbs on his muzzle. He licked up the remainder of the crumbs, wiping it clean from his whiskers so that he could proudly enunciate, “I have a name, you know. I'd rather you call me Eren, if possible."

"Do I look like I need to know your name?"

Eren recoiled. "Well, _no_ , but I would prefer it over 'brat'."

“Is that so.”

 Shocked, Eren kicked his legs when the man picked him off the floor with two fingers by the back of his neck, right by the area a mother cat would sink her mouth in to carry her litter around. He wildly thrashed in the man's hold as he felt his paws leaving the secure surface of the floor. Eren came eye to eye with the human, and was just close enough to see the thin outlines of his long eyelashes and arched brows.

“Put me down!” Eren jerked his head up. “I’m not done eating-“ 

“E…R…E…” The man leaned in closer. Eren recoiled; he swore the man’s eyes had laser beams of venom shooting out, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the man’s gaze could burn holes through his forehead. “…N,” the man finished. “Eren.” 

“Eren,” the man repeated, tasting the name on his mouth. Eren noted how the “R” rolled off the tip of the man’s tongue in a refined accent. “So that’s your name? Not to my taste, but...” 

“Even if it's not to your taste, it fits mine quite well,” Eren stiffly replied. "But yes, I think so?"

“You just said that it was your name,” the man pointed out. “Now you’re unsure?” 

“Well, I _think_  it is."

“You think? Do you not know your name?” 

 Eren squirmed uncomfortably in the man’s hold.

“It’s Eren,” the cat finally declared, then fell silent, twisting his head so that he was looking to the side, repeating his last phrase quietly, “ _I think.._.” Eren's glance uncomfortably flitted between the man and the wall, his tail awkwardly swishing back and forth in a nervous habit. 

“You don’t know?” The man repeated. Before the cat could protest again, the man held up a hand, halting him in his words. “I want a definite answer, none of those wishy-washy responses.”

Eren's face fell.

“I don’t know- but I  _think_  it is, so for now I’m Eren.” 

The man looked at the stubborn cat grimly. Eren was fiddling with its claws, cowering under the scrutiny of the man’s gaze. “So, um, can you put me down now?” 

All Eren received back was a brief shake and a glare. 

“I’ve been trying to ignore it, but you’re just too filthy,” The man eyed Eren with repulse. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you came out of a pigpen. You're going to contaminate my room at this rate.” 

Eren was taken aback. “I never came close to a pigpen!” By now Eren was vaguely aware of the stranger’s harsh tongue.  Still, he couldn't help but feel offended by the onslaught of the man’s brutal language – and just a bit ashamed that he agreed with some of the points the man made. Eren tucked his head to his neck and sniffed- okay, he smelled terribly bad, that was true- nonetheless, he grudgingly asked, “Can you stop commenting on my hygiene?” 

“No," The man immediately shot back. Eren yelped in surprise when the man began to walk. It was an uncomfortable feeling; being held between two fingers and the rest of your body left to dangle back and forth in rhythm with the man's steps. 

Carrying Eren with him, the man stood up and walked to another room- the restroom, Eren realized- while carefully keeping the cat an arm’s length away.

No sooner did Eren get thrown into the bathtub than did water come hurtling down from above. The sudden change in temperature hurt, and he felt like was being roasted in a cooking pit. Panicking, Eren reflexively attempted to dart out of the stream of hot water. The surface was slippery, and Eren ended up flat on his face, groaning in pain. He just took one step before a firm grip set him back into the burning rain.

“What the-“

It was a shower, he realized. A very hot one, to top it off. Cleanliness was not a top priority for Eren, but he appreciated it to a point- that is, if he was being cleaned gently. And this, Eren frowned, was not gentle. “Scrub softer?” Eren pleaded while squinting his eyes. The scratchy cloth was rubbing against his wounds, and the soap stung when it found its way inside the opened wounds. “Ouch- try not to touch hind leg right there, I think I might have bruised it a few days ago- can you at least turn the heat down?” 

If he were human, his loud cries and swearing would’ve woken up the entire neighborhood. Too bad his little pathetic voice wasn’t even loud enough to echo around the restroom. Eren just wanted to escape this utter torture, and resorted to holding his breath as he withstood this pain called "being cleaned". 

“Stop moving, you little shit,” The man barked. “I’m doing you a favor. Normally I wouldn’t even come close to touching this kind of-“ He held up a black dot in front of Eren to see. It was a piece of burnt rubber, and the man flicked it down the drain. “-rubbish.” He forcefully held the squealing cat down – who was sprawled on the tile floor and desperately flailing around for an escape- and the man did not relent in his hold. 

“No one’s forcing you to wash me."

“No, but I expect you to at least be clean if you’re in my house.”

"Your efforts won't matter, since I've been dirty for so long the filth probably seeped through my skin permanently," Eren stubbornly insisted. "You're wasting your time."

"Don't be dumb." The man dispensed a handful of liquid soap onto a palm-sized sponge. "Bottom line is, you're dirty and no one likes dirty things in their house." He began to lather the soap onto Eren's fur, starting with the cat's hind legs. Eren  peeked at the man, whose expression was of one in deep concentration. The cat slowly pulled back, ducking his head so that the water streamed over the back of his neck. 

“You know, you could just kick me out.” Eren slowly bit back.

Miniscule regret that pulsed through his mind at his own suggestion, and he trained his eyes upon the stream of water going down the drain, suddenly captivated by the odd, rainbow spheres disappearing one by one on the skim water surface. Interesting. "What are these rainbow sphere things?" He blurted out, desperate for a change in topic. 

The man shot Eren a skeptical look, but replied with a short and blunt, "bubbles". It was painfully obvious that the cat was uncomfortable with his own suggestion. 

The man squeezed the sponge over Eren’s head, and soapsuds slid down Eren’s forehead and into the corners of his eyes, which watered with hot tears almost instantaneously. Ow. Pawing at his stinging eyes, Eren let out a pained hiss. “Ouch, that seriously hurt! It wouldn’t hurt to warn me beforehand...” 

“Leave? And die out of starvation? What a lame way to die.” The man scathingly said. “Turn around and stay still if you don’t want to get soap into your eyes,” he instructed.

Eren silently obliged and remained as still as he could. 

The man ruffled through the Eren’s damp fur and stopped upon the sight of shiny, pink incisions on the cat’s battered skin. He hadn't noticed the scars before because they were hidden behind the tufts of fur, but now that the fur was wet and chunked together in sections, the wounds were more noticeable than ever. The man ran his fingers down Eren's back to trace the scars. They varied in size, the biggest scar stretching from the side of Eren’s neck down to his right paw. 

The man began to scrub behind the cat's ears-  _even more scars_ \- really, this cat was either stupidly clumsy or very violent. The man could tell that several marks were new, due to the dried up blood that gathered around the openings, particularily around the cat's shoulder, which had swelled into a large bump. He carefully maneuvered the sponge around the wounds, clicking his tongue at the number of wounds that marred the cat's body.  

Eren's face burned with chagrin as looked at the man’s fingers, which trailed slowly over the big gash at his side. He was discomforted by the close attention directed towards his scars, and inched away from the man, hiding the big scar by smoothing his fur over it. That particular scar was from a nasty brawl a month ago; he fought with a Siamese cat three times his size over half a muffin. He had won, of course, but took heavy damage in return. In Eren's opinion, it was totally worth it.

As the minutes passed, the man continued to clean the dirt out of Eren's fur, now moving to the cat's tail. The man didn't ask about the scars, "how" and "where" just mute questions hanging in the air. Eren noticed out of the corner of his eye that the man's focus would sometimes shift to a scar or bruise, and he couldn't help but feel like he should offer an explanation. 

“They’re from a lot of different things." Eren waited for a response, but the man remained silent, and Eren hastily continued. "But they're mostly accidents, I swear!" Eren explained. "I don’t really mind them, to be honest. Actually, I like to call them my battle scars." Eren babbled on a while longer, but the man was still unresponsive to any of his explanations. After a minute or so, Eren suddenly stopped, embarrassed at what he was spewing out to a random stranger. The man was mute, still.

The cat decided that the man couldn't hear his soft voice over the loud noise of the shower, and felt a bit relieved that the man didn't hear his mortifying little soliloquy ( _battle scars..._ ).  

With a hiss, the loud pattering of water died down, and along came a sudden coldness that mixed in with the thick steam. Eren squinted open one eye. He didn’t see much before something white blurred his vision, and the stranger began drying him with a towel.Long, talented fingers began to rub soothingly at the base of Eren's ears, and the cat noticed that the man's hands were surprisingly soft. 

The pleasant touch suddenly moved down to the curve of his neck, and Eren was horrified - horrified at the purr that threatened to escape. Eren savagely clawed the towel and tossed it aside.

The man raised an eyebrow at the cat's sudden act of hostility and used a pinch hold on him again, staring at his the product of his hard work. The cat’s messy locks had dried into feathery, unruly fur that stuck up at odd angles, resembling an overblown pompom of sorts. The cat's face was hidden in the tangles of fur, but there was no mistaking the angry hisses of disapproval when but the man brushed the fur aside, revealing Eren's bared fangs and grumpy expression. 

Wide-eyed, a newly fluffed-up Eren just glared back at the man. The man returned the stare, albeit his concentrated glare was much, much more intimidating. 

Clearing his throat, the man set the cat down on the floor. In a flurry of fur and claws, Eren skittered a safe meter from the man.

“Not bad. I can see that you’re an actual cat now.”

Eren didn’t know whether to be flattered or to be flabbergasted. 

“But I _am_ an actual cat...” 

 **xxx**  

It took a fierce battle of glares and snarls for the man to coax Eren out of the restroom; the cat had grown rather fond of the damp warmth in the small room, and refused to take a step out.

“You can sleep here,” The man pointed out a small makeshift bed of blankets and pillows, not bothering to give any explanation before walking away. 

Eren stared at it disbelievingly. Even after the man walked out, yawning and grumbling, Eren was still looking after man’s back in wonder. He had half-expected the man to kick him out after feeding and washing him. 

Eren slapped himself on the cheek. It stung- he wasn’t dreaming. 

He let out a sigh of relief as he nestled in the layered sheets, enjoying the smooth sensation that he had never experienced. Compared to the bundles of newspapers, the sheets were the absolute definition of euphoria. The last time he had laid a paw on clean linens was months ago, when he had a nasty run in with a laundromat. He winced, thinking about how he had accidentally knocked over a bottle of detergent, resulting in painful red, swollen eyes that leaked discharge and caused him many sleepless nights. 

The human was okay- for now. But if the human tried to turn him in, he would surely deal with it appropriately. But not now- he would think about it later. Tomorrow, or next week. For now, he was just too tired. 

Basked by a wintry moonlight, Eren found himself nodding off to sleep in the comfortable coziness of down and cotton. 

 **xxx**  

Once the cat was fast asleep, the man quietly approached it with a box of bandages, cotton swabs, and sterilizing wipes.

It lay completely still on the messy sheets, blissfully in its field of dreams. A small pool of clear liquid gathered near its snout (it was drool, and the man wiped it off reluctantly, but gently).

The man started to wrap the cat's hind leg with a stretchy bandage. The cat quivered in its deep sleep as the man's hands brushed past the scratches of where the broom had hit him.

"Battle scars," The man repeated. He paused for a moment, an almost thoughtful look brushing past his features before being replaced by arched eyebrows and an apprehensive expression as he sarcastically commented under his breath, "How _cute_." 

**xxx**

When Eren woke up, the apartment was empty and the man was nowhere to be seen. His leg and several parts of his body stung, and he looked down to find bandages patched all over his body. They were done with precise fingers, Eren could tell- even the medical tape was wrapped beautifully. 

Eren was surprised to find a bowl left close to his makeshift bed (warmed chicken again, Eren gleefully smiled), along with a plate of sliced fruits. It was a simple meal, but to him, it was a feast. Eren ate ravenously, finishing it in mere minutes. 

Once his stomach was satisfied, he trotted around the living room. 

Eren noticed that the window was open. 

The man should close his windows, Eren mused. Who ever would open his windows in the middle of winter? The cat shivered at the cold draft floating from outside the window. He stalked over to the window ledge, peering at the snowy garden below. It was a good height to jump from, to escape this human's grasp and return to the streets. All he had to do was take a step out, and this little mishap of his would go as just another unlucky mishap of his. Eren stuck a paw out the window. Some soggy snowflakes clung to his fur, wetting the paw pads with the familiar sting of cold. 

He could leave whenever he liked, he realized. 

**xxxx**

The day passed relatively quickly, with Eren dozing off for majority of the day. He awoke with a start when he heard a sudden tinkling noise, accompanied by some coarse swearing from outside the door. There was a clicking noise, signaling the return of the strange man, and Eren waited nervously as footsteps grew closer and closer to his location. Seconds later, the man briskly walked into the living room. 

The man clicked his tongue at the sight of a huddled cat peeking around the wall. “So you’re still here.”

Eren chose not to respond, and merely peered at the man. The man turned away and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

Eren got up and stretched, slowly following the man. He was sure that he would be kicked out today, and Eren as plenty grateful for the hospitality that he received. Unsure of how close he could be (and still a bit wary of the man’s mean gaze), Eren plodded a safe distance behind the man’s heels. 

The man looked back crossly. “What are you following me for?” 

Eren halted in his steps, feeling a bit stung. "Are you disappointed I didn't leave?"

The man sighed irritably. He ran his hand through his hair several times, grumbling under his breath. “Come here.” 

Eren followed the man into the kitchen. 

The man dished out another portion of glorious chicken mush, and Eren watched in silent surprise. The man firmly set the plastic bowl on the floor, and leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed as he watched the stray eagerly lapping it up. 

“Are you stupid?” The man suddenly asked. 

“What, why? I-I’m not stupid,” Eren spluttered. “Oh shit, sorry.” His coughing fit resulted in small puddles of mush on the kitchen floor. He swallowed, quickly offering, “I can lick it up if you want-“

The stranger gave Eren a withering glare and quickly mopped it up while darkly muttering  _'don’t eat things that fell onto the floor'_. Eren guiltily watched as the man scrubbed the floor, and the granite became impeccably clean and sparkly once again. The man balanced the mop against the wall once he was done cleaning up the puddles. 

“I left the window open.”

Eren gingerly prodded at the bowl. Right, the window was open. His glance flicked over to his paw, which had several unnoticeable red welts from being exposed to the cold for too long. It had taken a while for Eren to wake out of his stupor and realize that he was waving his paw outside in what, nearly freezing temperature? It was a big mistake, and because of it, Eren had to repeatedly lick his paw to keep it from numbing over. Now, it wasn't quite numb, but ached when the cat walked. Remembering that the man was waiting for a response, Eren coughed feebly, thinking up a suitable answer. “Well yeah, I noticed, but I…” He lamely started, then turned his big eyes towards the man. 

“Why are you staring at me? Go on. Continue.” 

Truthfully, Eren had some idea of why he didn’t want to leave.  Earlier today, Eren had walked in loops in the front of the window, debating whether to leave or not. When he finally dared to stick his paw out, trepidation would pool in his heart, and he'd end up curling back in alarm.

He didn't want to go back to his despondent life in the streets. Yet, there was something else tugging at him that told him he should go back outside before he got used to this luxurious life. Perhaps he had already gotten too much of a taste of luxury- he loathed the days ahead when instead of clean linen there would be rumpled newspapers... and in the end, the internal conflict caused Eren to retreat back to the living room and back to his tangle of sheets.

Eren licked his whiskers nervously. Just thinking about the countless times he curled up on tattered newspapers with glazed, lifeless eyes made him shiver in panic. No, he didn't want to go back! When he was living on the streets, stealing and spending his days half-alive came as a natural occurrence to him, but he was rejecting that kind of life with all his might. He didn't know what was spurring this sudden rejection, but all he knew was that he felt comfortable here- in this domestic setting. It didn't matter if it was just for one more day or one more week, he didn't want to go out. He wanted to stay. Even if the human couldn't be trusted, it was just one, whereas the streets had suspicious humans crawling all over. His tail quivered as he steeled himself, trying to get a grip on himself. 

 _Coward_ , Eren thought to himself. He was the perfect definition of cowardice. He, an independent stray cat of all things, was intimidated by the outside. Suddenly, embarrassment washed over him, and he had the urge to hide the scars all over the body- he didn’t live up to the ‘bravery’ they stood for. 

“I don’t know,” Eren lied, mortified at the thought of admitting he was scared.

The stranger obviously wasn’t pleased with his answer. 

“So, can you say anything else besides ‘I don’t know’?” 

“I really don’t know! I swear!” Eren protested in a strained tone. “Anyways, is it bad?” 

“Bad for you to stay or bad to say ‘I don’t know’? I’d say it’d be bad for both-“

 “Yes! I mean no! Er, I mean, is it bad for me to stay, maybe for a bit?” Eren purposefully left out a specific number of days. Hope clung to each syllable and was left hanging in the air. Eren's ears perked up in anticipation, and the furry appendages twitched every second or so as Eren waited for the man's answer.  

The man looked at Eren. 

“I don’t like dirty things,” the man said smoothly. “It’s bothersome to take care of an animal, and I find it tiring and annoying.” 

Eren's mouth opened into an 'o' shape and remained open for a few seconds. Usually, he would argue back, but the man's statement made his chest pang uncomfortably. Any witty retorts died on his tongue as he dejectedly slumped his shoulders, his gut painfully twisting in rejection.

"Ah. Okay," He muttered, face crumpling.  

 _Well, of course, Eren. Don't be stupid_. Berating himself for asking such a ridiculous question, Eren bit his tongue to quell the anxiousness building up within him. 

He would be out in the streets again- alone, cold, and hungry. It would be much,  _much_  harsher after experiencing yesterday - his life’s worth of dreams. It would be a painful  transition, and Eren was sure he’d lose all motivation the second he stepped back into those dark alleys. 

“But rest assured, I’m not going to throw a half-dead cat into the streets,” the man continued, watching Eren from the corner of his eyes. "That would be a waste of a living life."

The corner of the man's lip twitched - with what, Eren didn't know, whether it was out of displeasure or amusement dind't matter because _he could stay_. He couldn't believe it. Courage surged through him and he couldn’t help but blurt out the first thing in his mind.

”So I’m important enough to count as a living life in your book?” 

The man scowled. “Eren, don’t even  _start_ to get cocky with me.”

  **xxx**  

The next morning, the window was still open. 

When Eren opened his sleepy eyes, he was momentarily baffled to why he was so warm and full. Then he remembered the stranger, who fed and sheltered him, and somehow let the cat stay for a little longer. Maybe the human wasn't as bad as he initially thought.

Eren shook his head, banishing that particular thought from his mind. He could tone down his fierceness around the man, maybe use a mellow tone when talking with the human, but his defenses should never fall, he told himself. There was no telling when the man would regain sanity and realize that talking cats were, indeed, meant to be locked up and researched on. Eren shivered at the thought, which cemented his own defensive mindset in place.

Eren suddenly realized he wasn’t sure what to call him because the stranger never gave him his name. 

The cat spent a few minutes in a daze, staring at the blank wall. His brain was having a difficult time crunching through the many thoughts swirling in his mind, and eventually the cat gave up and cleared his mind of any and all thoughts. Acting brain-dead, the cat settled on observing a small crack on the wall.

Eren's furry ears perked in alertness at a clattering sound. Eren quickly pattered to the front door, where the man was looking like he was just getting ready to leave. “Hey, wait!" Eren breathlessly called out. "This is kind of late, but what’s your name?” 

The man blinked at the sudden appearance of the cat, which looked at him expectantly. The man slipped on his leather shoes, remaining silent for a moment.

“Levi," He shortly stated. 

Eren liked the man’s name- Levi. Simple yet distinguished. It seemed to fit the man rather well, much better than the “Robert” and “Max” and various other names that he had pondered over.

Eren unconsciously let a small chuckle escape. The man looked at Eren sternly. “What?” 

“Nothing, I just thought your name suits you.” 

“Shut up.”

  **xxx**

 Around evening, Levi returned to the apartment with a plastic bag containing two brand new packages of chicken and a few cans of _tuna_ (Eren wailed in happiness). Levi vehemently denied that it was for the stubborn cat, but eventually caved in and truthfully said that yes, it was for the ‘little shit named Eren’.


	3. the cat and the strange things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is a strange, strange being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/19/15 note: this chapter is gross and is currently being rewritten.
> 
> Please excuse the grossness. I mean it.

 

**iii.**

 

 

The window was still open, a reminder that Eren was free to leave if he wanted to.

Eren ignored the open window. 

**xxx**

 

A week passed since Eren awoke in Levi’s home, and it felt like a lifetime’s worth of dreams for the deprived cat **.** Everyday, Eren would wake up still thinking that he was caught in a never-ending loop of his wildest dreams. He was given delicious food, a cozy shelter, and everything that he had ever wished for. Eren was amazed at how pleasant life could actually be, compared to the hellhole of outside streets.  

If there was one thing that was out of place- it would be the human named Levi.

Truthfully, Levi wasn’t very likeable. He still couldn’t trust the man, and his natural aversion to humans and Levi’s bitter personality only added to Eren's uneasiness. Levi was hard to describe, and even with Eren’s careful observations, he couldn’t come to a definite conclusion about the man. Eren couldn't help but think that Levi was simply strange.

Strange indeed. 

Firstly, Eren disliked Levi’s intimidating stare- it penetrated all his barriers and Eren found it difficult and mostly impossible to lie. No matter what falsity he spewed, Levi would turn, stare at Eren, and the cat would immediately tuck his tail between his legs and bow down in apology. Even if Eren hadn’t done anything wrong, looking into the immense darkness of the human’s eyes was frightening to himself. It stripped him bare, down to the deepest crevices of his heart. It felt like the man could see right through him and into the fear and hate Eren felt for himself at the moment. It started with clutching, twisting feeling in his stomach on how he was relying on a human of all things, _a human of all things_ , and it made him feel utterly pathetic.  

 

“Is that okay?”

 

 No, it wasn’t okay. Eren wanted to rely on himself, and not on some stranger that could possibly sell him out any minute. Yet, Eren didn’t want to leave the warm embrace of his newfound comforting lifestyle. And Eren hated himself for it.

 

“Hey, are you listening?”

 

“Huh?” Eren blinked in surprise. “Oh, sorry, could you repeat that?”

 

“I asked, is this portion okay?” Levi asked impatiently.

 

Realizing that the man was talking about his food- a bowl of water and a dish of sliced fruits and assorted meats- Eren quickly responded, “Uh, yeah.” He was already glad that the man didn't serve him any nonsense like canned cat food- he despised that stuff, as odd as it sounded. It was tasteless and disgusting, and the texture was often sandy and gritty, unlike the colourful array of edibles prepared in front of him. 

 

 Levi looked at the cat pensively. “You eat way too little.”

 

 _But it's way more than I used to eat,_ Eren refrained from adding. If he had seen the mouthwatering food in front of him in the streets a week ago, he would’ve thought he was hallucinating. But now it was in front of him, real food, that was given to him for free, and Eren didn’t do anything to earn it. He was gratified, of course, but there was a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that didn't let him relish the food as much as he wanted to.

 

Perhaps the best way to word it was that it felt _wrong_ , as if there was something amiss about the whole situation. Eren sniffed indignantly at the very idea- food was being offered to him for free, so why should he feel- _guilty_? Banishing his trail of thought, he slowly leaned down to devour his meal.

 

“Would it kill you to eat more?” Levi asked sharply. "That's hardly enough to sustain you- no wonder you look like the living dead." Again, like the days before, the plate of solids were left untouched, with the exception of one or two blocks of sliced apple - an observation that did not slip past the man's eyes.

 

Eren miserably poked at the food in the bowl. Of course he wanted to eat more, but his stomach felt invisible, disconnected from his body, almost; he couldn't discern the difference between being hungry and full, for instead, the hollow space underneath his ribs was unfeeling and cold. He desired the food, yet it didn't bring him any satisfaction- and frustration steadily grew within the cat, morphing into a heavy, lead ball of despair and vexation.

 

“I'm full, though!" An intense ferocity found its way into Eren's words. Realizing that he had yelled much louder than he needed to, the cat swallowed uncomfortably, and tried to cover up his moment of rage in a mellower tone. "I mean, I don't think I need anymore.” He pushed the bowl away.

 

Levi didn't ask about the outburst. That was one good thing about the man that Eren could admit- Levi didn't push for answers or rudely try to interrogate him. No, the man let things fall at their own pace, reluctant to step in. Instead, the man slowly replied, “Do you want to grow up to be a scrawny-ass cat that’s smaller than a chicken?”

 

“No, _but_ -" Eren protested. "-but I'm telling you, I'm completely fine!" He haughtily turned his nose up and away from the bowl. He honestly couldn't stuff any more food into himself without feeling sick.

 

Levi blinked at the cat's act of defiance, and bitterness found its way into his tone as he remarked, “At least don’t let the food go to waste.” Levi looked the cat squarely in the eyes, briefly raking his glance over the the cat's protruding ribs. “Coming home to see a sight like you is just fucking depressing. Eat, and it’ll do us both good."

 

“But-“

 

“Fucking eat, Eren.”

 

Eren bitterly obeyed, and each bite made him feel sicker and sicker.

 

**xxx**

 

Levi almost never talked to Eren unless it was necessary, and the cat returned the favor. However, when Levi did start to talk, he would only make statements pertaining to the cat’s injuries or stupidity. Then, Eren would make an effort to change the subject, which resulted in him going off on a tangent and babbling nonstop. Levi was, however, polite enough to listen, or at least pretend to listen, as Eren talked on and on, until the man eventually grew tired of it and told him to shut up. 

Levi had a bitter tongue; he always referred to Eren as “brat” or “little shit” more than his actual name, and Eren unwillingly became accustomed to being called such names. Sure, he was relying (mooching off, Eren unhappily thought) on Levi for a lot, but Eren was deeply offended when he was acknowledged as something so negligible like trash.

Levi’s name-calling was only one of Eren’s gripes with the human’s language. Levi was straightforward and severe in his words, he swore a decent amount, and spoke with a prominent note of stiffness and authority. It made Eren want to follow and protest Levi at the same time, and he often found himself debating whether he should look up to Levi or see him as an enemy. Lastly, Levi always had the last word, no matter what- Eren didn’t stand a chance.

 The cat was shot down every time he bothered to argue with Levi, but that didn’t stop him from trying. And so during mealtimes, sometimes when Levi returned home, and in the mornings when Levi left, Eren eagerly attempted to make small talk on nonsensical subjects.

After getting shot down several times in succession, Eren learned to approach the man with a guarded approach, wariness, and although his pride would never let him admit it- (...courage).

Today, Eren ate his meal slowly, and approached the man with more caution than usual. When he was finished, he hesitated before initiating unusual small talk. “Er… Levi?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I was wondering… how did I end up here? In your house, I mean.”

 

It had escaped Eren’s mind before, so the question of how he ended up in Levi’s house was asked rather late. But really, the last thing Eren remembered was stumbling blindly around in the streets and then crashing into a wall head-on. _How embarrassing,_ he mentally groaned _._ Plus, he couldn't imagine Levi carrying him from the dingy alleyway- it was positively reeking with grime and bacterial substances that Levi would refuse to come a meter close to.

 

“Someone dropped you off,” Levi shortly answered. Eren tilted his head at the man's vague answer. He was hoping for more exact answers, so he prodded further.

 

“A friend of yours?”

 

A look of annoyance passed over Levi's face, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. “Just an acquaintance.”

 

“How did they find me? I thought I was in a pretty desolate area of the streets.” Eren recalled the empty alleyway that he had blacked out in. He couldn't help but wonder how someone would wander to the darkest part of the streets, where just about no one ever visited. It was isolated and trashy, and not even most cats ever bothered to visit the area. It was truly odd. Or just a once-in-a-lifetime coincidence. "And how did they know I could... you know, talk? Did they hear me?"

 

Levi arched his eyebrows at the cat’s barrage of questions. “Well, fuck, how would I know? I wasn’t the one that found you.”

 

Eren piped down at the man’s brash response. “O-oh, well, I kind of just _assumed_ -“

 

“Well, you assumed wrong," Levi sharply interrupted. 

 

The conversation ended just like that. Eren’s curiosity remained unsatisfied, but he didn’t dare to prod any further. They didn’t talk a word to each other until dinner came around, and even the dinner conversation resulted in an utter failure for Eren.

 

**xxx**

 

The man never asked him why he, a cat of all things, could talk, nor did the man prod him about his origins; Eren waited and waited for the dreaded questions, but they never came. The cat figured the man didn’t care, which was an odd thing indeed; Levi never looked like the type to be curious anyways, but wouldn't any normal human in this situation usually ask why the cat could talk? In Levi's case, the man only asked questions of "Christ, when was the last time you bathed?" or low groans of "These fucking hairballs... Christ. Do you think we should try shaving all your fur off?"

And then Eren would be left as a sputtering mess, unable to defend himself as he tried to retort in vain. 

Even after a week of living with the man, the cat still didn't understand the man in the least. Levi made absolutely no sense at all, and by now the cat had given up completely on trying to understand the man.

It didn't help that Levi had an irregular schedule. The man himself was rarely home when Eren was awake, so the cat only saw the Levi a few times a day- in the mornings, when he left, and in the night, when he returned. Eren’s meals were always prepared at the same spot in the kitchen floor, with the same post-it note reminding him, "don't drop the fucking food onto the floor’. 

 

 **xxx**  

 

Eren groaned in boredom as he lay sprawled out on his sheets. Ever since he started living here, he spent his days with back pressed against the sheets, paws floppily spread out like a starfish as he closed his eyes and drifted off. Other times, when he couldn't fall asleep, he just lay on his makeshift bed like a dead corpse. Eren had never felt more relaxed in his life, but quite recently, maybe a day or two ago, his claws started twitching at the need for action. He needed to do _something_ , not be lazy and play dead all day.

Ears perking up, Eren lazily dragged himself up at the distinct sound of Levi's brisk and succinct footsteps. As he predicted, the man appeared mere seconds later, and plopped down on the sofa with a cross expression. Eren took his time approaching Levi, watching the man with careful eyes as his tail swished back and forth in a steady rhythm.

 

Eren finally settled at the foot of the sofa that Levi occupied, curling into the relaxed shape of a 'c'. He idly drew invisible circles on the floor with his right paw, careful not to scrape the floorboards with his sharp claws. He looked up, looked down, and looked up again until he took a breath and asked, “I was wondering if there was anything I could do around here?” 

 

Once Eren raised the question of lending a helping hand to Levi, he regretted it almost immediately.

 

With amazing speed, Levi immediately shot back, “What can you do?”

 

“I- what?” Eren squeaked, taken off-guard. “What I can do?”

 

“You wanted to make yourself useful, so I’m asking what you can do,” Levi leisurely took his cigarette and tapped the end so that the burnt pieces fell into the ashtray. He inspected Eren with careful eye, a disbelieving expression on his face, as if Eren were some negligible fleck of dust that was unable to do anything but dirty the room. “Can you catch mice? Do chores? Anything remotely helpful?”

 

Catch mice? Eren got frustrated way too easily- those pesky mice always managed to slip away, and Eren would be left glaring at the back of the mouse, panting for his breath. Even though it was such a stereotypical duty that was expected of household cats, he just couldn't do it. And on the topic of chores? He supposed he could wipe the floor (if Levi didn’t mind having scratch marks all over his shiny wooden floor). Anything remotely helpful?

 

Eren faltered in his response. He didn't have the faintest idea of what a human might consider as helpful- and even without that, he wasn't sure of his own abilities. He didn't have hands or feet to grasp and pull at objects, nor was his body mass big enough for manual labor, and he was lacking in the department pertaining to his feline abilities...

 

“I, uh,” Eren gulped, hating to admit that he probably wouldn't be of much help at all. He hadn’t thought this far when he first offered. 

 

Levi didn't look to surprised as he gave him a deadpan stare, and snorted, “What do you know, the talking cat can only talk. Utterly useless.” Eren grimaced at the brutal truth, which hit him harder hearing it from the man's own mouth.

 

 “Well, I’m a pretty good in fights, I think-”

 

“So you got into a lot of fights.” Levi clarified. Now _that_ would explain the numerous deep scars on the cat’s body. There were way too many to be ‘just accidents’ like the cat had claimed, unless the cat was very, very clumsy.

 

“But they were for good reasons,” Eren protested, not denying Levi’s statement. "Really, I swear!" Indeed, he had never fought in any petty cat battles; as far as he remembered, all his fights were over food or substances necessary to survival- justifiable fights, as he called them. Levi was still frowning, and Eren quickly steered the conversation back to its original topic. In a sudden burst of inspiration, Eren blurted out, “Maybe I can watch the house or- _oh_! I can be your bodyguard!" 

 

Eren had never received a darker glare.

 

“My _bodyguard_? _Bodyguard_? What are you going to protect me from? Old ladies? Plants? Dirt? Why would I need a bodyguard, anyways?” Levi said scathingly. “Okay, let’s put it this way. Say I get mugged, for whatever fucking reason. What are you going to do to a full grown adult? Scratch his arm and saw ‘meow’?”

 

“I can claw his eyes out,” Eren confidently said, puffing out his chest. “And- and then bite their nose off. Fingers, I’m not sure, but if they’re not too muscular… but I can definitely ward off any, ah, angry cats or birds! "

 

"Cats? _Birds_?" Levi asked in a dangerous tone, his face hardening into a stony glare.

 

"You never know!" Eren said frantically. "I mean, I'm sure that you can defend yourself well, but I've seen some really ferocious birds before, you know! And if they gather into a massive flock, they can do lots of damage- you shouldn't underestimate them! Oh, and ducks- their bills really fucking _hurt_ , you know..."

 

Levi looked skeptically at Eren's, dragging his eyes across the cat's bony frame before he slowly mouthed, "Absolutely not."

 

“... I guess not, then.” Eren deflated when he saw that Levi didn’t believe him at all. “Give me some tasks and I can try, though! Anything is okay,” Eren declared. “I’ll do my best to help!”

 

Levi shuffled the newspapers into a neat stack on the coffee table. He looked at the cat with a pondering "hm", brow creasing when he saw the cat’s eyes wide with enthusiasm- even Eren's  _tail_ was happily flopping around on the floor like a fish on land. 

 

"So?" Eren prodded, looking up at the man with wide eyes.

 

Levi sighed deeply. Eren’s expression was so hopeful and eager that Levi didn’t have the heart to reject the cat’s willingness to help.

 

**xxx**

 

“So what are we doing?”

 

“Cleaning,” Levi stated, pulling out washcloths and a few spray bottles of cleaning solution. Levi heaved a grunt as he pulled out a big, plastic bin to put water in. Once the materials were gathered in a heap, Levi pushed it all in one go to the living room, while Eren watched in awe at the sheer strength exerted by the man’s arms. Levi obviously hadn’t lied when he said he vehemently claimed he didn’t need a bodyguard.

 

“How can I help?”

 

“Well,” Levi inspected the cat carefully. Another abnormality about Levi, Eren eventually learned, was that the man is an insanely clean human. To Levi, Eren was a bundle of germs and vermin - Eren couldn’t help his shedding fur, though- and Eren learned the hard way that he could only attend to his "matters" (bowel movements and others) outside, away from the vicinity of the house. “You can start by not rubbing your disgusting stomach on my floor. "

Eren grudgingly did as he was told, and followed Levi, carefully picking up a cloth and dragging it across the floor. It was harder than it looked, and the cat wondered how the man could wipe the floor with such fluid motions. Levi's movements made the task of cleaning look like a form of art. The man did such a thorough job cleaning that Eren swore he could see the bookshelves literally gleam with an unnatural shine that could compete against any photoshopped ads for cleaning services. In less than thirty minutes, the cat felt like the room completely changed, for it was as if the whole room was slicked in oil or glitter. It fucking sparkled (even cats know rooms aren't supposed to sparkle), and by now, Eren was one hundred percent sure that Levi was a magician.

Compared to Levi's graceful cleaning, Eren was positive he was _murdering_ the poor floor, which certainly would have been screaming for mercy it had a voice... 

Eren awkwardly continued to push the stubborn cloth around in jerky movements, trying to mimic Levi to the best of his abilities, which proved impossible for his stubby paws and hind legs. He didn't give up, but he grew frustrated and eventually slumped down dazedly to take a short break.

 

“ _Your claws, brat._ "  

 

Levi irritably arched his eyebrows at the new scratches on his floor.

 

“I-oh, _shit_! Sorry, I didn’t notice at all,” Eren winced when he noticed the very tips of his sharp claws cutting through the cloth and digging into the wood floors, creating shallow crevices on the floor’s surface whenever he tried to wipe the floor. "Let me try to fix this-"

 

“Eren.”

 

Eren gulped. “Yes, sir?”

 

“Sit in that corner and don’t move until I’m finished cleaning.”

 

Eren sulkily retreated to the corner.

 

**xxx**

 

In the end, Eren firmly insisted he watch the house during his period of stay. Levi merely scoffed, at how desperate the cat had been in its feeble efforts to be helpful, and had gone as far as to take up a job that was normally associated with dogs.

 

**xxx**

 

Sometimes, Levi was a very peaceful person. He would simply sit on the couch, cross his legs, and read newspapers in the dark room. He paid no attention to the fluffy snow gently falling outside, nor was he distracted by the barely audible hum of the television, the only source of light in the dreary room. Levi would have idly do something while flipping through his news, such as sipping at mug of black coffee, enjoying the bitter warmth.

 

Eren wondered if Levi was even reading, or paying attention to the newspapers. The man’s eyes were always sharp and focused, his fingers busy flipping pages and _tap tap tapping_ his cigarette, but he never appeared _whole_. It was as if his mind was somewhere galaxies away.

 

Perhaps Levi was bored. Or tired. Maybe needing some alone time?

 

Whatever it was, Eren could somewhat sympathize with the man's lethargic behavior. The newspapers were boring and of no importance to a cat (admittedly, it was interesting to read holiday cake recipes and comic strips, but he was a cat, and he would definitely not be making cakes anytime soon).

Even the bleak winter weather brought an air of solitude and gloominess, and for this late in December, snowstorms came in abundance, bringing only more dreariness to the house. It was colder than the day Eren awoke in Levi's house, cold enough that Eren woke up every morning with a wet snout and little sneezes, shivers racking his body with a trembling that never ceased to stop.

On the brighter side, Eren thought the weather outside was kind of soothing; the soft colors of black and dull gray brought a peaceful air to the world, and the whispering wind was comforting.

Eren was content, burrowed in his sheets half-awake. He liked listening to the soft, rhythmic breathing of the man. It was vastly different from the loud screaming and screeching tires out in the streets.

 

The man’s breathing was like the silent rustling of leaves, a nearly inaudible echo that lulled the cat to sleep.

 

Regrettably, it was hard to hear over television announcers and howling wind.

 

Levi pulled out a cigarette and tucked it in his mouth. Eren was surprised when he learned that Levi smoked, since he figured Levi wouldn’t want the scent of “dirty stuff” wafting around in his apartment. Eren had to admit that smoking fit Levi frighteningly well; when Levi daintily flicked at the cigarette end and smoothly inhaled, it made him seem, well, _charismatic._

 

...which was an unnatural quality coming from the strange man Eren had saw him to be (a cranky, indifferent midget).

 

**xxx**

Levi's irregular schedule never bothered Eren too much until Eren discovered that Levi was occasionally missing at midnight, not returning until early mornings. When Eren asked Levi why he was gone at such odd times, the man merely responded with "work" but didn't go any further. Naturally, Eren's curiosity directed itself to a new subject: Levi's job.

The cat pondered on the subject for hours at a time, but always ended up snorting in laughter at the possibilities. Trying to clear his mind of any images of Levi dressed up as a kindergarden teacher (that flowery apron did not suit him well) or as a plumber (cue Eren's uncontrollable laughter) or even as a mafioso (that actually fits the man well, Eren thought), Eren finally took the shortcut and bluntly asked Levi.

 

“What’s your job?” Eren questioned.

 

Levi looked at him strangely. “Why would you want to know about my job?”

 

“I was just curious.”

 

“Guess, then," Levi distractedly hummed from behind his newspapers.

 

Eren bit at his whisker. He knew it had to do with something with irregular schedules…

 

“Mafioso,” Eren declared.

 

“ _That’s_ your first guess?”

 

“Yeah! I mean- you go out a lot during the night, you’re shady, I guess- oops.“ Eren tail stopped wagging as he realized what he had blurted. Levi slowly set his newspapers on the the coffee table in front of the sofa.

 

“Hold it there, fucker. You’re calling me _shady_?”

 

“But you go out at really weird times!” Eren protested in a small voice. “Plus, it’s just… you’re not like other people.”

 

Levi blinked. “I’d hate to be like some other shitheads out there in the world.”

 

So it when on, with Eren guessing things like special agents, host (Levi frowned deeply at that, because “that’s just degrading”), police officer, and even going as far as to suggest Levi was a part-time thug (how one could be a thug for part-time, Levi had no idea). After while, Levi realized that the cat’s guesses, which all ranged from various jobs in the streets to shady dealers, were probably the only jobs that Eren was most aware of, probably influenced from his life in the streets. Levi finally had it when Eren guessed "Are you a drug dealer?" to which the man shot a venomous stare at the now cowering cat.

 

Levi rubbed his temples. “Your guessing skills are shitty. Do I look like I’m involved in anything illegal or lecherous?”

 

Maybe not lecherous, but illegal- definitely possible, Eren sheepishly thought. But he chose the safe route and kept quiet, returning a small reply of “No, Levi.”

 

“I have a very normal job at a very normal place working under a very normal boss.”

 

So he worked under a boss. Eren was always under the impression that Levi would _be_ the boss himself, due to his intimidating qualities. “Just curious, but would do you talk to your boss like this too?” Eren wondered aloud. Given Levi’s sharp tongue, Eren figured that that the man would be fired right on the spot.

 

“Like what?”

 

“Like… you know, how you call me names like _little shit_ or _brat_ ," Eren scrunched his nose distastefully.

 

“Why the hell would I talk to my boss and a talking cat in the same manner?” Levi scoffed. “The boss is a long-time acquaintance. I’m an editor, but I'm just working there temporarily.”

 

Eren quirked his head sideways.

 

“Being an editor doesn’t seem like you at all.”

 

“That’s what I like about it, you shithead.”

 

**xxx**

 

That night, Levi woke up to the sound of rustling sheets and scraping of claws. He ignored it at first, but then came a few hollow knocking sounds and frustrated mewls, and Levi was out of the bed in less than a minute.

 

"What exactly do you think you're doing?"

 

What _was_ he doing? Levi stared down at the cat huddled right outside his bedroom door.

 

Eren was perched on top of some sheets, which were messily arranged right outside Levi's door, slightly to the side so that the entrance was still clear.

 

"I was kind of hoping that I could sleep here instead..." The cat hastily scrambled up at the man's appearance. The man blinked and paused his movements. The cat held his breath, hoping for an affirmative answer-

 

"No."

 

Eren gave an exasperated sigh and whined, "But I haven't even explained why yet!"

 

" I don't _need_ to know why, my answer's still going to be no."

 

“But…”

 

“No buts.” Levi slammed the door shut and climbed back into his bed. The rustling sounds and thumps didn’t disappear at once; Levi could still hear hints of the sounds, as if the cat outside was hesitant to leave. Eventually, they grew quieter and quieter, and Levi was satisfied, knowing that the cat had dejectedly walked away.

 

**xxx**

 

It wasn’t until a few days later when Levi noticed something was wrong.

 

Very, very wrong.

 

He became aware of it one morning when he was taking down Eren’s bandages and freshly wrapping his wounds in new cotton plasters. The wounds were healing up very nicely, faster than Levi had expected, and some of the scars were even starting to disappear. But something- something that Levi thought would change, hadn’t.

 

“Eren,” Levi suddenly paused in the middle of taping a cotton pad down. “Have you been eating properly?”

 

Eren looked away for a split second, an act that did not go undetected under Levi’s sharp eyes. “I have… why?”

 

“You’re… you’re getting thinner.”

 

It was true. The cat’s bones were jutting out more than before, and Levi could easily see the crevices of where the sockets of the cat’s shoulders were. It wasn’t like this before. Eren just looked like sticks and fur. Levi didn’t notice from faraway, but once he was up close, Eren was a mere skeleton. He looked terribly sick, and while his eyes maintained their vibrant hue, they were sunken in his gaunt face. Lines appeared by his neck where the last traces of fat had disappeared.

 

Something strange was going on. Levi fed the cat properly, he was sure (he checked it on the internet, and Hanji also phoned him endlessly with caretaking tips) so when he noticed the phenomena, he knew at once that Eren was hiding something from him.

 

“Fucking…” Levi swore under his breath and completely stopped bandaging the cat. He placed the medical tools on the floor, crouching so that he was on eye-level with the cat. “Eren, you are going to tell me right now, why you haven’t been eating properly.”

 

Eren frowned. “That’s… I have been eating properly!”

 

Levi looked at the cat seriously. “Stop lying, obviously there’s something going on that’s making you like a fucking skeleton. Do you want to die?” Eren anxiously shook his head, and resignedly hung his head from his shoulders.

 

“No? That’s what I thought. Talk, or you’ll seriously die at this rate." Levi's words gripped the cat like cold metal, washing over him in a wave of chills and prying the cat's jaws apart.

 

Eren agitatedly began to flick his tail up and down, blinking nervously as his confession came spilling out like smooth water.  “I didn't lie to you- I did eat it all! It's just-I ate  I- I couldn’t hold it down! Like, I wasn’t full or sick, there was just something forcing it out, it kept coming up, and no matter how much I tried to keep it down, it wouldn’t, and- and-“ 

 

Levi looked grimly at the stuttering mess in front of him. “So you’re saying that you’ve thrown up every meal I fed you for the two weeks?”

 

“No, not all of them...”

 

“And when you say not all of them, I’m assuming seventy percent.”

 

 _More like ninety percent_ , Eren inwardly winced. 

 

"And you didn't tell me?"

 

"Well, I didn't actually think anything was wrong," Eren's voice trembled hysterically. "I honestly feel fine!"

 

“You little shit…” Levi groaned as he pushed himself off the floor, suddenly shoving aside the medical kit violently. Eren jerked in surprise as the kit crashed into the wall and fell apart with a large clatter. Gauze and tools lay messily around the area where the kit collided with the wall. 

 

“So you basically ate nothing for this last week. And you didn’t tell about it at all. Fucking fantastic.” Levi threw his hands up in resignation, and buried his face in his palms. _Brilliant._ The cat had too much damn pride for his own good.

 

Eren couldn't help but square his shoulders in guilt at the fine lines above Levi's brow, indicating the inner turmoil that the man was going through. The man dragged his hands down his face, staring at the cat with a deprecating expression that hushed any of his readied excuses. Eren could already imagine the anger and annoyance building up in the man, and took a deep breath, readying himself for the explosion. “Sorry..."

 

Levi glared at the cat harshly.

 

"Get up. Right now."

 

"Levi, I-"

 

Levi suddenly stood up, looking more angry than ever, even angrier than the the time when Eren had accidentally left a nasty surprise of hairballs on the sofa. 

 

Eren chewed on his whiskers nervously. "Are... are you...?" _Are you throwing me out?_

 

The man stared at him with an undecipherable expression. "Yes." 

 

Eren's expression crumpled. _Oh, Eren, you've really messed it up this time._  

 

"Yes, I'm angry," The man continued. "You should have told me." He looked admonishing and furious and worried ( _worried_?) all at once, and Eren hung his head, ashamed.

 

"But I'm not tossing you out, if that's what you're asking. I already told you this before I wouldn't, and I don't go back on my word," Levi rolled his eyes. Eren perked up at once, ears sticking straight up in the air with palpable happiness. He felt so relieved and giddy that he could just _lick_ Levi's cheek - but hastily decided against it, as it was sure to earn him another lengthy lecture and chilling glare.

 

"Anyways, what are you doing? I said to get up, are you deaf?" Levi shoved his hands into his pockets until the right one emerged curled around a metal ring of keys. Within a few seconds, Levi was no longer in front of him, but in the hallway; the man had pulled on a large overcoat and scarf, and was now furiously shoving on his boots. Levi noticed the cat staring absent-mindedly at him, and the man snapped his fingers to get the cat’s attention. "We're going to the vet right now, so stop daydreaming or whatever the fuck it is that you're doing and move your ass."

 

Bewildered, the cat tucked his tail between his legs and obeyed.

 

**xxx**

 

The vet peered at the odd pair- a boney cat and a cranky man. The man was stoney faced when explaining the cat's odd eating habits, and the cat had progressively inched away from the man, and was now sitting at the very edge of the medical table, looking almost ready to tip off the edge.

 

“Your cat is just having a hard time adjusting diets; the sudden influx of meats and vegetables are not settling well in his stomach, because looking at the scans we took, your cat is mostly used to more meager foods. Also, try decreasing the size of his food, and work up to the normal portions over the course of two weeks or so. I can prescribe to you some pills that will help with his adjustment. Until then, it’s good if you try to mix in solids into his liquids, and gradually grow from there,” the vet explained. The man grunted in affirmation.

 

“Here’s the paper statement. There’s also a page stapled to the back with a list of foods that will be easy to mix in with water. Also, try giving your cat less tuna- that is one of the biggest factors in why he keeps vomiting. Tuna is too rich for cats, and should be given in small amounts.”

 

Levi accepted the paper, and turned towards Eren with an oh so caring look in his eyes- well, that was what the vet saw- in Eren’s eyes, Levi’s facial expressions just screamed _you goddamned troublesome brat_.

 

"So, less tuna. You hear that, Eren?"

 

Eren whimpered at the loss of his beloved tuna. _Crystal clear._

 

"Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, is this... cat of yours a stray, by any chance?" The vet added in an afterthought. It wasn't too hard to notice that the cat had come from the wilderness; it's emaciated frame and poor quality of matted fur and other numerous details were not hard to spot. Although, the vet thought to herself, she couldn't imagine the harsh man in front of her taking in a cat, but perhaps one couldn't be judged by its cover... She shook off her wandering thoughts and continued, "If you are taking him in, there are proper procedures to adopting a stray cat - of course, they're not necessary, but recommended for both the cat and the caretaker's health and et cetera..." 

 

"That won't be needed," Levi replied.

 

"Are you sure, sir? There are medical checkups for any possible diseases or malignant illnesses and such, _neutering_ -" Eren bristled and was utterly horrified "- vaccines, among other things..." The vet counted off on her fingers all the suggested preliminary procedures.

 

Levi lazily waved off any further suggestions much to the vet's obvious displeasure, but she finally (and reluctantly) released them after giving Eren a small cat treat. Once he and Levi bid their farewells to the vet and left the examination room, Eren let out an inaudible sigh of relief and spat out the cat treat, shoving it away from him. After checking out of the animal hospital, the cat shuddered one last time at the very thought of being neutered- the cat preferred to keep his privates intact, thank you very much.

 

**xxx**

 

The car ride back to Levi's house would’ve been entirely silent, if not for Eren’s comments here and there that were said in an effort to break the silence. However, the man made no effort in replying, and the best reply the cat got was a simple noise of "hm", so Eren decided to switch tactics and pelt the man with his best jokes and puns. The man must've had some iron-will in staying completely stoic, because he didn't even crack the slightest smile, not even at at his nacho cheese jokes. After a particularly bad pun line, Levi inhaled sharply and violently swerved the car, and Eren immediately quieted. 

Being the stubborn thing that he was, that didn't stop him from trying to coax a word out of Levi's mouth, and so Eren tried switching tactics again- and there was no better way than starting off with a compliment.

 

“I didn’t notice earlier, but you bandaged it really prettily,” Eren commented in wonder, observing the plaster wrapped around his right hind leg. Most of his bandages were gone now, and the cat couldn't help but feel awed of how startling fast his injuries had healed. “There’s no wrinkles or anything. And the tape is aligned in perfect parallels.”

 

The cat waited patiently for a good four minutes before the man ( _finally_ ) responded.

 

“That’s a given, because I used to be a doctor.”

 

Eren did a double take. Now he was genuinely curious. Levi seemed like he would be the one inflicting wounds, not... bandaging and treating them and kissing them with remedies. 

He tried to imagine Levi in the same coat that the vet had worn. Perhaps the man would be good at looking serious and delivering advice straightforwardly. But as for the actual handling of patients and the generally needed geniality of manner...

No, no, it was all too strange.

 

Spurred by Levi's response, Eren persisted in conversation. “So you’re not a doctor anymore?”

 

“I just told you the other day I'm working as an editor now. Temporarily.”

 

Editor and doctor- even with Eren's limited knowledge of human careers, he could still tell that they were completely contrasting jobs. Wondering about the whole strangeness in Levi's past job (as a fucking doctor, of all things), Eren bit his tongue to keep the ‘why?’ from sliding out of his mouth. Keeping that thought to himself, he opted to ask a different question.

 

“Then why couldn’t you treat me?”

 

“I was doctor for humans, not for fucking animals.”

 

Eren scrunched his nose up in contemplation. “But you treated my wounds, right?”

 

“I wouldn’t even call myself a doctor if I couldn’t fix a wound like that. It’s fundamental knowledge for anyone in the medical field.”

 

"Oh." Eren’s gaze wandered to the car window. Levi forbid him from sitting on the car seat, so he was huddled up on the flooring of the passenger seat. He strained his neck, propping his head onto the corner of the car seat hoping that Levi didn’t notice. Eren could barely see the tips of tree branches passing by, blurring along with the darkening sky.

 

Cars weren’t a new concept to him; he saw plenty of them on the roads he scavenged. He didn’t know that riding in a car could be so exhilarating. Somehow, he had the impression that cars were clanky and rough to ride in. He didn’t expect it to be so smooth. Seeing the scenery pass so quickly scared him at first, but when it was paired with the vibrating of the car engine, Eren felt like he was _flying_. Levi would probably scoff at him for such a childish thought.

 

“You know, this is my first time in a car,” Eren spoke up in wonder. "It's kind of _cool_."

 

Levi glanced at the cat, keeping his hands firmly gripped on the steering wheel. Eren looked completely awestruck. Levi wondered if the cat looked the same way, or perhaps even more amazed on the ride to the vet. “That sounds like an accomplishment,” he sarcastically replied.

 

Eren scratched his neck in embarrassment. His claws got caught in the tangles of his fur, and he yanked it out with grunt, “Yeah, it is. Thanks Levi.”

 

An unsaid ‘ _why are you fucking thanking me for giving your first car ride_ ’ failed to slip past Levi’s mouth. He muttered a muffled sound of approval, and returned his full attention to driving the car.

 


	4. the cat and the dreamless sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cat sleeps peacefully, but the man does not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 6/27 note: this chapter is gross and is currently being rewritten.

**iv.**

 

 

Levi never considered sleeping to be a luxury. It wasn’t a hindrance, either. It was merely a human staple; an element of life that powered humans to continue on with their lives. Essentially, Levi compared sleeping to be equivalent of the batteries, so like any normal adult man, he slept approximately seven hours each day.

His sleeping schedule was a bit odd indeed- sometimes he slept those seven hours during the day, sometimes he slept seven hours at night. It remained a static schedule, and he never took naps, nor did he ever bother to sleep more or sleep less. Seven hours- precisely.

Levi never knew how much of a light sleeper he was, since he always slept alone. Plus, his neighborhood was always quiet- it was a crucial factor that Levi had considered when he bought this house.

Neither did Levi know how precious sleep could be until he started waking up several times a night, starting with little sneezes coming from outside his room, which gradually grew into light snores. At first, Levi painfully endured the sounds, too annoyed to get up and yell at the cat- also, he didn’t want to stoop low enough to curse at a poor, miserable animal for the sake of his sleep. 

When he took in the animal a few days ago (temporary stay, of course, Levi made sure to remind the cat) he thought that life would just be a bit more troublesome. But not to this degree, oh no. Cat hairs on the ground. Hairballs that piled up. Buying extra food. Cleaning the cat. Telling the cat to stop bothering him. Tending to the cat’s wounds. Never being able to sleep soundly. The list went on and on…

Why in the world had he agreed to take care of the cat? He groaned, thinking about what a close acquaintance had once said to him: _"You might not like people very much Levi, but have you thought about animals? Maybe you should try getting a pet..."_

What a fucking joke. There was no way that he could ever get along with a furball- and it talked, which put it at the same level as a human. _But it wasn't only curiosity,_ he mentally added. He would probably feel so fucking guilty for kicking out a half-dead cat that he would be ashamed of himself. Now _that_ would be a huge hit to any of his last threads of humanity.  _Humanity, my ass_ , the man offhandedly thought. Just seeing the cat's green eyes, big fucking green eyes, pathetically round eyes, eyes that literally begged the man not to desert him-- yeah, he'd be conscience-stricken forever.  

Levi cursed loudly and pulled the covers over his head. The snoring was at an unbearable level now, and when he finally had enough, he whipped the covers off himself and stormed to his bedroom door. 

Levi pushed his door open to a pair of wide-eyes, looking up at him with surprise and trepidation. “Eren, why are you outside my door again?”

 

“Can I sleep here because-“

 

“ _No_.” The man crossly slammed the door shut. He retreated back to his bed, got under his covers, and fell back into a restless sleep. The next morning, the cat was gone from his bedroom door, and Levi was once again satisfied, knowing that the cat had listened.

 

**xxx**

 

Just a day or two later, the rustling sounds came back. And so Levi stormed out of his bed again, gave the cat another warning, and went back to bed. 

 

But it didn’t stop there. The man finally learned the extent of Eren’s stubborn streak when the cat kept on coming back no matter what Levi threatened the cat with.

 

So the cycle continued, until Eren won- the man reluctantly gave up, too annoyed to bother anymore. From then on, at night, the cat would push his bundle of sheets to Levi's bedroom door, then fall into a deep, content slumber.

 

**xxx**

  

As soon as the process of “fixing Eren’s disgusting eating habits” ended, Levi tried to stuff the cat with as much good, ‘real’ food as he could, because coming home to see a skinny ass cat was just plain depressing. Eren still ate much less than Levi expected, usually finishing at a maximum daily meal of one bowl of solids soaked in warm water and sometimes, if Levi was feeling less cranky than usual, a small portion of tuna. Even Levi knew enough about cats to know that Eren’s appetite was _way_ too small.

But to his satisfaction, the cat didn’t look as a boney as before. Eren was still scrawny, but not just a pile of fur and bones. Not much of an achievement, but it was certainly less detrimental to Levi’s conscience (whatever conscience he had left in him).

 

_“So?”_

 

An annoyingly eager voice blared through the phone, and Levi immediately whipped it away from his ear, holding it at arm’s length.

 

“What do you mean, ‘so’?”

 

_“I mean how is it with the cat! The one that I kindly gave to you to take care of!”_

 

“Kindly?” Levi raised his eyebrows. “You fucking _threw_ Eren at me while you were dead drunk.”

 

The phone went dead quiet for a moment. Levi, knowing better immediately, thrust the phone further away before- _“Oh, so his name’s Eren?! When can I see him? Can you bring him? Pretty please?”_

 

Levi’s lips twitched into a feral growl. That woman’s voice was too loud for her own good. “Jesus Christ, shitty glasses, stop screaming into my ear.” There was a light giggle from the phone, then accompanied by full, blown-out laughter.

 

_“Ah, sorry, sorry! I’m just so excited! I mean, I haven’t seen anything this spectacular since I discovered the amazing qualities that grass cells could produce, you know-“_

 

Levi cursed. She was going off on a tangent again- just like how Eren would sometimes ramble on for ages and ages. It would seem that he was cursed with the cruel fate of being surrounded by loud, noisy idiots. He carelessly threw his phone onto the farthest corner of his table, going back to his paperwork.

 

_“So, can you bring him? To the research center?”_

 

Levi paused. He set his pen down and gingerly moved his cell phone so that it sat on top of his stack of papers. “If you wanted him so much, why didn’t you just keep him with you?”

 

“ _Yes, but but but,_ ” Hanji whined. “ _But there’s no more space here! And I couldn’t keep him at home, because you know how Sawney and Bean act when there’s strangers in the house._ ” She let out a high-pitched wail, causing the phone to crackle with static noises, and Levi winced.

 

“So you just dump him wherever?”

 

_“Your house was the closest!”_

 

Stupidly simple logic, Levi thought to himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen, Hanji-“

 

_“Well, I guess if you’re not going to bring him, I’ll just have to come over myself! I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, tops! Thanks, Levi!”_

“Shitty glasses, you better be _\- fuck_!” Levi cursed when he realized the phone line went dead with monotone beeps.

 

That woman actually had the nerve to hang up on him. 

 

Levi sincerely hoped the woman was joking about her last statement.

 

**xxx**

 

Unfortunately for Levi, the woman was not joking.

 

**xxx**

 

Eren woke up from his nap, startled by impatient knocking at the front door.

 

“Levi! Levi, is that you?”

 

Eren’s ears perked up at an unfamiliar voice calling from outside the house. As if right on cue, Levi strode angrily past the cat. The cat caught a hint of an audible groan as the man passed by, accompanied by a vicious hissing. Levi's brows were drawn together in a tight frown, lips unpleasantly curled downwards in a firm scowl. Eren had never seen the man in such a distraught manner, much less showing it on his physical features.

Immediately interested at what was making Levi so agitated, the cat sprung up and followed Levi, hiding behind the wall adjacent to the doorway. From what he could see, the man had paused in front of the doorway, crossed his arms, and then placed his hand on the door knob. No sooner did the man press down on the knob did a flurry of something try to squeeze through the door opened just a quarter.

 

“Don’t just turn up uninvited,” Levi spat, before reluctantly opening the door fully. A reddish/brownish-haired woman popped up, and pushed past Levi as she invited herself into the house.

 

“I would’ve come earlier, but Sawney and Bean were stuck with awful colds, and I told you over the phone that I was coming, Levi, and _oh my god_ \- is that Eren?!”

 

Eren yelped as he realized one of his furry ears was in plain view. He darted back to hide his furry appendages, but he hardly moved a few inches before he was swept into a bone-crushing hug.

 

“Oh my gosh- Eren, I’ve wanted to see you so much, you have no idea!” Hanji squealed. “I called Levi six times a day for the past few weeks but he blocked my number, so I asked a good friend of mine to loop the call through the block, and it was totally worth it, you have no idea!” 

 

The cat squirmed helplessly in the woman’s enthusiastic, and most noticeably, iron-gripped hold. His lungs were being crushed by her overwhelming hug, and the lack of oxygen didn’t help the fact that he was utterly confused as to what was going on. His mind was swimming, and showed no signs of clearing up. Eren shot Levi an expression of silent plea.

 

“Hanji, set him down, and fucking take off your shoes before stepping into my house.”

 

“Ah, sorry, sorry! I’m just so excited, you know?” The woman threw her head back, breaking into peals of high-pitched laughter. She finally let him go, much to the cat’s relief, and he scuttled away from the woman as he tried to catch his breath.

 

“Eren, this is Zoe Hanji. She’s-“

 

“You can just call me Hanji. I’m the one who found you, you poor little thing- did Levi take care of you alright? He’s kind of cold, right? And rude? Ah, you know, in light of the Christmas season- he’s kind of like the Scrooge, right? Don’t worry, I appreciate your cuteness fully,” The red-haired woman proudly stated, smacking Levi on the back in a supposed friendly gesture as she tossed her shoes onto the doormat. She shot Eren an exuberant smile. “I’m a researcher, by the way.”

 

“ _Hanji_ -“ Levi started in a warning tone. The rest of Levi's words blurred in Eren's mind. All he could hear was the last sentence from the woman, which echoed repetitively in his mind.

 

_'I'm a researcher, by the way...'_

 

Eren paused, the cogs in his mind racing to understand what the woman just said.

 

And if he heard right-

 

“A-a research-“ Eren’s breath caught in his throat. A stinging sensation prickled up at his eyes, and his chest tightened painfully as his hackles raised in an alarming manner. Eren darted back and viciously bared his fangs at Levi, the _damned traitor_ , and violently roared, “You said you wouldn’t turn me in!”

 

 _Levi betrayed him_. That was all Eren could think of. He betrayed him. Well, it wasn’t like the human was ever on his side on the first place- so it wasn’t exactly betrayal- but Eren’s gut twisted painfully as he glared at Levi. _This_ was why humans were despicable. They were too selfish, too paranoid of anything unlike them, their goodness was always fake, and lastly, they couldn’t ever be trusted.

 

Eren took a shaky breath, looking up at the man with a glint of ferocity in his eyes. The man didn’t respond to Eren’s outburst, and if anything, looked completely unaffected. The cat pushed his next words in a strangled whisper.

 

“Levi, _you asshole_.”

 

Levi to raised his eyebrows calmly. “Exactly _who_ is an asshole? And exactly _who_ is turning you in? Believe me, if I really wanted to turn you in, I would have done it the day you were shoved into my house,” the man spoke in a low voice. Eren clenched his teeth.

 

“No, you planned it all, didn’t you! You pretended that you wouldn’t turn me in, but in the end, you’re like how I imagined you to be, you cold, selfish bastard-“ The cat heaved with heavy breaths, glowering at the man with an intensity that was mirrored by the man. 

 

Finally getting the gist of what was going on, Hanji jumped in between the hissing cat and the unperturbed man, waving her hands to get their attention. “Hey, hey, let’s calm down for a second! Eren, I think you might’ve gotten the wrong idea here!”

 

Eren ignored her hasty pleas and continued to glare at Levi.  

 

“Why don’t we all first go into the living room-“ Hanji paused as she saw Eren scowl at Levi’s back. A rare, understanding smile slid on her lips, and she bent down. “Hey, Eren.”

 

Still refusing to talk to her, Eren looked away and ignored her prodding stares.

 

“I’m not going to hurt you. I mean, I still want to experiment with you and all-“

 

Eren looked up with a horrified expression, and Levi tried to cut in, “ _Shitty glasses_ -“

 

“-While I am interested in why you can talk, it’s for my own personal interest. Nothing else, I swear. I just want to sate my own curiosity, I guess?” Hanji hummed. “It’s like figuring out the answer to a puzzle. A mystery- finding the hidden answer to the _tangled knots of the universe_!” She spread her arms out like an eagle, positively gleaming with excitement. “Well, something like that.”

 

“Anyways, if anyone wanted to turn you in, it wouldn’t be Levi or me,” Hanji continued. “I study plants. Botany. The green stuff, not the furry stuff.”

 

 “But you’re still a researcher,” Eren clarified angrily. 

 

“Perhaps, but just know that I have no intention of caging you up for scientific reasons. You don’t have to trust me, I just want you to know that I don’t have anything other than personal curiosity. Right, Levi?”

 

“Don’t ask me,” Levi dismissively responded. “I don’t know any of the shit that goes on in that head of yours.”

 

 Hanji clasped her hands over her heart in an exaggerated expression of hurt, but turned back to Eren with an unnaturally gentle expression. “I’m a researcher specializing in plants, and while I mostly handle exotic plants, I’ve also researched the majestic properties of grass- you do know what grass is, right?”

 

Nonplussed at the sudden topic change, Eren slowly replied, “I ate it a few times before, but _that's not the point_ -”

 

There were sudden choked cries as Hanji looked at the cat with utter adoration.

 

Levi looked utterly repulsed.

 

“Well, looks like we’ll get along great then!” Hanji sang out loud. “Now come along, to the living room- oh yes- Levi, bring us some tea, will you?” Levi let out a guttural growl. Eren expected the man to ignore the woman’s orders or curse at her, but to his surprise, the man rose from his seat and disappeared into the kitchen.

 

Eren found himself being swept away by Hanji’s pace, and he was ushered into the living room before he could consciously realize that he was still in the same room as a researcher. Realizing exactly who he was dealing with, Eren opened his mouth, ready to protest, but the woman spoke up first.

 

As soon as the man was out of earshot, Hanji lunged forward in her seat and whispered loudly to Eren, “Did’ya see his face? He looked like he was ready to dig out my guts!”

 

“I could have kept you myself or given you to another person, but I just felt Levi was the right person, you know?” Hanji wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “And I know he appears disinterested and cranky, but trust me on this one thing- he’s like an onion. Gotta peel him one layer at a time to see who he is. Do you understand?”

 

No, he did not understand, nor could he ever compare the gruff Levi to an onion. The comparison was as odd as it could get. “Okay.”

 

“Like an onion, so up, down, up, down…” Hanji’s hands began moving in a peeling motion, as if she were slowly stripping an onion of its layers. “Anyways, enough of talk about Levi.”

 

“I know that your little talking situation is something you’d prefer to keep quiet, so I won’t ask anything too deep- just in general, okay?”

 

“Honestly, I’d prefer-“ Eren angrily started. _I’d prefer if you didn’t ask at all,_ he wanted to say.

 

“-But I’m curious- do you yourself know why you can talk?”

 

“If _I_ know why I can talk?” Eren dumbly echoed. “Not really.”

 

“Are you not curious about it?”

 

“It’s not that I’m not curious,” Eren frowned. “It’s just better this way.”

 

“That’s fine. If you want, though, I can look into it more for you-”

 

“No!”

 

His cry of protest rang loud and clear in the room. Hanji stopped in surprise and stared at him questioningly.

 

 “No, um,” Eren tried to grasp what he wanted to say. There was so much to consider about his situation, and deep inside, he almost dreaded knowing the reason of why he could talk. His tail stiffened as his next statement started to tumble out, “I just don’t think there’s a _need_ -“

 

Eren didn’t get to finish what he said, because Levi came marching into the room with a tray of tea. The man must've sensed the tenseness in the atmosphere, because his expression morphed into one of skepticism, and he raised his eyebrows at Hanji. Hanji caught the suspicion in Levi’s expressions, and she offered a nonchalant smile, and imperceptibly nodded at Eren.

 

“Oh hey, nice of you to join us again, Levi! I was just telling Eren here that I would love to tell him more about my experimental adventures,” Hanji grinned. “Right, Eren? Wouldn’t you like to hear more?”

 

Unsure of what to answer, Eren confusedly offered, “I guess?”

 

A huge smile broke out on Hanji’s face as she slowly reached out towards the cat.

 

Levi instantly set the tea onto the table in the most ungraceful way possible, causing a few of the teacups to knock against each other. He leaned down and discreetly hissed, “For fucks sake, you don’t have to go along with everything like a brain-dead idiot.” Eren barely had a second to ask “Huh?” before he was lifted off the ground and cuddled by the crushing arms of Hanji (again). She held him in a strong hug, so strong that Eren was desperately gasping for breath by the time she let go.

 

“Oh, Eren,” Hanji lovingly whispered. “If only Levi was half as understanding as you.”

 

xxxxxx

 

Eren was sure this would never end. Sure, he asked for it, but now…

 The woman went on and on, positively brimming with excitement, which was exactly opposite of what Eren was feeling. To put it simple, Eren regretted his choice. Despite the dreaded feeling that the woman would never stop ranting, the cat tried his best to respond in a polite manner, which entailed sitting nicely by her feet (Levi didn't trust Eren with the couch) and pretending that he was absorbed in the woman's ranting.

“So that time, instead of pouring liquid nitrogen into the mixture… oh, Eren, you know what that is, right? Perfect. You're absolutely brilliant, Eren, and let me tell you about another incident I had quite a few days ago with _achillea millefolium_ , more commonly known as yarrow, pesky little plant it is, because when consumed in large amounts it can be quite deadly..."

Bewildered, Eren bobbed its head up and down in mock understanding. He understood Hanji’s words and sentences with no difficulty, but in the end, he just couldn’t draw a clear conclusion of the purpose of her experiments. Not to mention, the way Hanji jumped from topic to topic nearly every sentence had Eren’s mind wrapped up in an intangible knot.

Eren sneaked a peek at Levi. The man didn't even have the tact to cover up the fact that he wasn't listening, and was staring at his watch with distaste (two fucking hours had passed with Hanji talking nonsense, and by now the man was antsy and utterly _pissed_ ).

 

“Hey, I have a small request- a small one! Please, please, pretty please help me? I won’t do anything nasty, I swear-“ Hanji suddenly dropped from her seat on the couch and sidled up to Eren, eyes big with expectation as she zoomed in on him. “I just want to _test something_ -“

 

Immediately cautious, Eren backtracked his steps so quickly that he stumbled into Levi’s leg. He mumbled an incomprehensible mixture of “sorry”, “can’t” and “no” and hid behind Levi’s legs, as if Levi was the wall that was going to shield him from this oddity of a woman. 

 

Hanji pursed her lips, and dejectedly moaned, “Aw, come on! - I just want to check on a little here and there…”

 

Levi eyed the cat warily. He scooped Eren up with one hand so that the cat was dangling from Levi’s side, and plopped Eren right onto his lap. The cat squeaked in embarrassment. “That’s animal abuse, so no, Eren will not be taking part in any of your little fun.” 

 

“Don’t be such a wet blanket, Levi! Besides, it’s Eren’s choice-“

 

“You have two cats of your own. Go experiment on them,” Levi dryly replied. “Anyways, you’ve wasted enough time here. He’s tired.” He cocked his head towards Eren.

 

“But but but but!” Hanji held up her hands in a begging position in a pleading pout. Her eyes began to water (were those tears?- Eren would rather not know) as she pitifully pouted. “Sawney and Bean are my precious babies- oh, don’t worry Eren, you are a precious baby too- but they don’t _talk_.”

 

“Sorry, Hanji. I’d rather not, but maybe in the future,” Eren uncomfortably offered. Hanji made a disappointed face, but her eyebrows suddenly shot up as she squealed in delight, clasping her hands in happiness.

 

“Oh, Eren, you little angel, you! In the future, okay? Promise?”

 

“Hurry up and leave,” Levi demanded, immune to the redhead’s protests.

 

Of course, it was easier said than done. On the way to the door, Hanji insisted on copping one last feel on Eren’s tail (she rubbed her face longingly against his tail, and Eren could do nothing but feel _awkward_ ). “That’s sexual harassment,” Levi disgustedly told Hanji as he finally managed to haul the poor cat out of the redhead’s arms.

 

“Aw,” Hanji’s shoulders slumped. “Well, anyways, Eren- if you ever change your mind, tell me, okay?” She mysteriously winked at the cat before walking out the door, and Eren knew that she was definitely not referring to the experiments.

 

Levi continued to hold the catuntil Hanji was completely out of sight. As soon as the redhead disappeared, Levi dropped Eren onto the ground as if he was something infectious. "Gross," the man muttered scrunched his eyebrows together in concentration as he wiped his hands on his pants. Eren gave a haughty sniff- he could say the same about sitting on the man's lap, which was to him a disgrace of disgraces. 

 

“You should have just rejected her,” Levi muttered. “You don’t know her- when she starts doing experiments on something she’s head over heels for, she goes fucking crazy.”

 

“Yeah, I guess.” Eren tried to imagine what Hanji would look like if she went crazy, considering she was already close to what Eren would consider a psycho. The cat shivered at the imaginary scenes that popped up in his mined. Yes, a crazy woman like that was not very pleasant.

 

“I’ll tell her no for you later.” Levi tiredly rubbed his face, and trudged past the cat. 

 

The cat hesitated before calling out, “Levi?" 

 

The man halted in his steps, looking back with a questioning expression.

 

“Sorry for calling you an asshole,” Eren mumbled.

 

"Yeah, that was uncalled for," Levi stonily agreed. 

 

"Will you cut it out?" Eren scowled. "I'm trying to apologize."

 

"Duly noted."

 

"Anyways, I just wanted to say that I jumped to the wrong conclusion- _but_ , I think that considering the situation, it was reasonable that I would suspect you-"

 

Levi crossed his arms. "Are you apologizing or not?" 

 

"I am, if you would just let me talk-"

 

"No need," Levi waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Anyways, your apology is accepted. I've been called way worse - a little gross furball calling me an asshole isn't going to break my heart and make me cry rivers of tears."

 

"A gross f-furball?!" 

 

**xxx**

 

The weather grew colder as December came to a close, January blizzards now covering the festive decorations in a coat of white and gray. Instead, New Years’ cheers replaced Christmas.

 

New Years’ Day passed like any other day, uneventful and as flaccid as it could get (with the exception of one noisy phone call from Hanji, who Levi hung up on almost immediately). Eren didn’t understand the concept of New Years’ at all, because he hardly even bothered to keep track of days, but he enjoyed watching the grand ball drops and confetti explosions on Levi’s television set. Levi, on the other hand, ignored the festivities altogether, leaving Eren to watch the televised celebrations all by himself.

 

The foot of the couch was now Eren’s favorite place to be. It was snug and the rug beneath the couch was soft, and it was the perfect place to curl up and watch television or doze off to the sound of howling wind from outside. Although Eren recently declared that he would watch the house during his period of stay, he still did nothing besides sleep, eat, and watch television. He finally came to the sad truth that there was nothing helpful he could do, because everything he could do, Levi could do better, and Levi didn’t accept anything but the best. In Levi’s eyes, Eren’s efforts (like the recent episode of cleaning) were just unsatisfactory.

 

Levi occasionally joined Eren by the couch, but before he sat down, he would use his foot to nudge the cat farther away from himself, like now. The man ‘tsk’ed and pushed Eren out of the way with the bottom of his foot, and flopped down onto the couch.

 

“You could’ve just told me to move,” Eren grumbled at being manhandled with a human’s foot. "Stop pushing me with your foot, I'm not your dirty laundry."

 

“Really now... I could've sworn you were. Besides, it’s more efficient this way.” Levi leaned his bead back on the couch, resting his arms by his sides. “I’m going to take a nap, don’t disturb me.”

 

“Then why don't you nap in your room? Isn’t it colder here? And-”

 

“Eren, just shut up and let me sleep,” the man snapped one last time before closing his eyes. The cat flicked its tail in minor annoyance, but obeyed and entertained himself with a stray thread coming out of the carpet. The room sunk into silence, and Eren found himself yawning as his eyes grew heavy.

 

He plodded to his little makeshift bed, and despite Levi’s warnings, quietly pushed it closer and closer to the man until it was nearly touching the man’s foot. Perfect, Eren thought. He settled down into the nest of sheets, pulled one sheet over his body so that he was bundled up, and poked his furry head out.

 

Sometimes, Eren would peek upwards from the blankets, and for a horrified moment, mistake the tranquil figure of Levi for a corpse. Then he would furiously scramble to his feet and watch for any sign of life in the man. The man sat so still, his skin ghastly in the dim lighting, that Eren refused to blink until he recognized the unmistakable _in, out, in, out_ at Levi’s chest.

 

Eventually, Eren closed his eyes, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **edit** : I changed milk to chicken (chp 2, 3) after some kind reminders on cat diets, thank you for the helpful tips!


	5. the cat and sweet lemons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The acidic taste of a lemon is so overwhelming that its sweetness is often forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 6/27 note: this chapter is gross and is currently being rewritten.

  **v.**

 

“That was quicker than I expected.” Levi masked his surprise with a hum in approval. The cat’s wounds had healed up nicely with the exception of a few scabs and the lingering presence of some bruises. It had been a rather fast recovery, and the man was surprised when there was no excess blood that seeped out of wounds when he removed the bandages. Instead, every wound was covered with a dry, thin layer of a scab. Even the splinter that he had originally planned to put on the cat’s hurt leg wouldn’t be needed at this rate.  

 

It was too quick- way too quick. Levi was sure that the nasty gash on the cat’s side shouldn’t have healed until an estimated one or two weeks later, and that the cat’s sprained joints should be more painful than the cat had described the pain to be (just an odd, ticklish sensation, the cat had claimed). Levi didn’t need his doctorate knowledge to know that the cat’s recovery speed had been unnatural.

 

The cat twisted his head to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of his scabs. “Really? Are they all gone?”

 

The man placed his hand on the Eren’s furry appendages and gently pressed down, revealing neat cuts behind both ears. This wound and a few others were just the few left. “Mostly,” Levi informed him. “There’s a few gashes on your back that are still scabbing, your shoulder joints are not fully corrected yet, and there’s some deep cuts behind your ears that haven’t finished healing. How the fuck did you even get injured there?”

 

“I probably fell headfirst somewhere, or maybe it was from a fight,” Eren offered in a shrugging motion. The cat let out a sigh of relief at how easy it was to shrug without having the bandages tightly wound around his shoulder joint. “It tends to happen.”

 

“Figures,” Levi said, calmly placing a hand over the last bandage and gingerly unwinding it until it fell as a heap on the ground. “That was the last one. The rest is left up to time.”

 

Eren inwardly cheered with gusto. He hated the bandages; they had restricted his movement and added up to a considerable weight. When he had walked around, he walked with a limp _and_ an odd hobble due to the bandages wrapped on the more awkward areas such as the joint between his hind legs and behind.

 

Just for confirmation, the cat asked, “So no more? None at all?”

 

“None,” the man confirmed.

 

Eren didn’t bother to hide his glee as a wide grin spread over his face, positively brimming with positivity. He reached his paws forward and leisurely arched his back, satisfied at the small popping noises that each bone structure in his vertebrae made. He had never felt more satisfied- stretching had been a difficult task with all the bandages and plasters. The tenseness in his limbs ebbed away, and the cat happily sprawled out on the floor, relishing the feeling of being unrestrained by bandages. 

He lazily turned his head to watch Levi wrinkling his nose as he cleaned up the medical supplies. Levi was carefully maneuvering the used bandages into a plastic bag with the help of rubber gloves over his hands. Eren wondered how the man ever survived as a doctor if he had that much of an obsession with cleanliness and hygiene.

 

“I’m bored,” Eren declared suddenly, furrowing his eyebrows unhappily. After his bandages were removed, he didn’t have any more excuses not to go out. Still, the cat had come with stupid excuses for himself; he knew he was just holding off the inevitable and that in the end, he was just fooling himself, but he didn’t have the courage to step out of the house. He wasn’t scared of the outside as much as he was reluctant.

 

Because he hadn’t taken any time to go out for walks or enjoy the outdoors, instead opting to stay coped up inside Levi’s house, there wasn’t much to do except for sleeping and moping around. Staring at windows and walls was less of a time-consuming activity than Eren had expected. The cat was extremely restless after sleeping entire days away, and continuously fidgeted with his claws, lest he accidentally create scratch marks on the floor from his extra burst of energy.

 

 “Then why don’t you go out?”

 

Eren chose not to answer, instead shooting the man a begging expression. Of course he could go out, maybe take a walk or observe exactly where he was, but he couldn’t. More precisely put- he wanted to, but he was uneasy with the idea. He needed some kind of reassurance. cat heaved a heavy sigh with as much emphasis as he could, “ _Because_.”

 

“Because?”

 

The cat ducked and buried his face into his fur, groaning loudly so that the man would hear. “Just because.”

 

Obviously unaffected by the cat’s pitiful moping, the man looked at the cat with a deprecating and exasperated look. “Don’t mope if you’re going to act like a pitiful brat and wallow on my floor all day.”

 

Eren scowled at the man’s nonchalant tone. “I’m not moping,” he said dubiously. Levi raised an eyebrow at the cat from his crouching position as he sealed the plastic bag of used bandages and double knotted it.

Silence stretched out as the man turned and left to discard the bags. Levi stood up holding the bags out at an arm’s length, carrying them by the tips of his fingers as if they contained some malicious bacteria that would infect him the minute it touched his skin.

 

Perhaps, if the man would accompany him… the cat pondered to himself. As much as he was reluctant to admit it, going outdoors with Levi didn’t sound as repulsive as it should have. Rather, it was the _teensiest_ bit reassuring. For example, the ride to the vet- it was fine, and Eren had actually _enjoyed_ it (especially the car ride) just because he wasn’t alone. _The man probably wouldn’t agree though_ , the cat bitterly groaned to himself.

 

But because Eren didn’t know the meaning of ‘giving up’ nor did he ever lose all hope, he immediately blurted out, “Can you come with me?”

 

Levi looked taken aback. “Where?”

 

Eren awkwardly shifted, muttering, “You know… out?”

 

The man tilted his head in a pensive manner.

 

“After I throw these out.”

 

The man quickly turned and left the room. Eren immediately looked up at the ceiling, expecting pigs to rain down any moment. It took him a minute to process what Levi had just said- and if he had heard correctly- did Levi just agree to his request? One look at the man and Eren knew that the man wasn’t lying, but still… it was totally unexpected. The cat shivered. This unexpectedly compliant part of Levi was nice, but also slightly creepy.

 

When the man returned, Eren half expected the man to shoot him a look of sarcasm and say that he was lying when he had agreed to take Eren out. Instead, Levi came up bundled in his winter coat, his wool scarf wrapped snugly around his neck, all ready to leave. Hell, he already had his boots on. He looked totally serious and ready to leave, and Eren gaped at him, looking up at the ceiling again- no falling pigs- and Eren just stared at Levi, mouth wide open.

 

Levi dangled his keys in the air impatiently. “Hurry up, brat. Don’t make me change my mind.”

 

“R-Right!”

 

Eren hurriedly followed the man to the doorway, where the man abruptly paused.

 

“Just a few things. Firstly, walk a few feet away from me. It can’t be too obvious that you were following me, because cats don’t do that.” Levi frowned. “I don’t want to be pestered by anyone asking why a goddamn cat is following me at my heels like a dog.”

 

That sounded simple enough, so Eren nodded. “Got it.”

 

“And I’m sure you know already, but don’t talk.”

 

“I don’t need you to tell me that,” Eren quickly replied, a bit offended. “I know that already.”

 

“I think that’s it. Just make sure you remember… although I bet you won’t,” Levi finished off with a snort. “Cat brains are the size of a mouse, and should be efficient in terms of memory… but I really doubt that in your case.”

 

“I don’t have a pea-sized brain, Levi, I’ll remember well enough,” Eren shot back.

 

When the cat stepped out the door, he was hit with a full blast of cold air. Because it was considered one of the warmer days in January, it was a tolerable cold, one that was cool and refreshing and invigorated Eren as soon as it filled his nostrils.

 

While Levi locked the door, the cat carefully observed Levi’s house. Enclosed by a white, wooden picket fence, the house was extremely plain It was average-looking, yet very neat- there were no excess flower bushes or trees, just grass, nor were there any decorations. The paint was peeling in a few areas, but that was about it for imperfections.

Simple and clean, the man’s abode was humble at the most. It was nothing fancy, and to be completely honest- kind of small- unlike what one would expect from a previous doctor. Maybe doctors’ salaries weren’t as luxurious as he had thought? With that thought in mind, Eren strained his neck back. Levi’s house was two stories- the cat hadn’t noticed a staircase anywhere in the house. He mentally made a note to look harder for any staircases when he returned.

 

“Hey, Levi, is there a staircase-“ The cat blinked, confused when the man wasn’t at the door anymore. _Damn, that was some quick door locking_. Eren perked up and dashed to catch up to Levi; said man was already three meters or so ahead, and was standing still while tapping his foot, looking back with irritation clearly etched on his features, probably annoyed by the cat’s dawdling.

 

 _He walks quick too_ , Eren mused as he finally caught up to the man.

There was a saying that there are a lot of things one can tell about a person from their walking, and Eren couldn't agree more with that statement. Everything about the man was swift and neat. Even the man’s steps were ‘clean’; while some people liked to bob on their heels as they walked or had a bit of a skip in their steps, Levi walked precisely with no extra actions included. The cat laughed dryly to itself- he could almost say that Levi had a ‘clean’ style of walking.

 

Eventually, the cat was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he did forget Levi’s orders to stay away. Eren was especially confused when Levi continued to shoot him a discreet ‘evil eye’ started to pick up his pace until he was nearly jogging. Eren trotted to keep up with the man, until there was an audible hiss- and he finally noticed that he was sticking persistently right behind the man’s feet (exactly what Levi told him _not_ to do).

 

The passing neighborhood teenagers shot Levi and Eren strange looks (Look, that cat’s following him… and What a creep!), and the grannies would smile with a twinkle in their eye (Will you look at that kind young man, so rare nowadays, to have a cat follow him so obediently, he must be a person full of goodness…).

 

Eren gulped when Levi looked down at him venomously with obvious frustration in his glare. The man evidently didn’t enjoy the attention he was receiving. The cat hunched his shoulders and began to slow his pace, and under the careful watch of Levi, didn’t stop slowing down until he was a good two yards and a half away. As soon as he retreated farther away, the man relaxed his glare.

 

A few minutes later, the cat had a terrifying encounter- a group of children playing immediately dropped their ball and whatever they were playing with, and instead started to chase Eren with their grubby hands, asking Levi if they could pet him. Levi responded that it wasn’t his choice (for revenge because Eren), and raised a satisfied eyebrow at Eren. Eren would yelp in terror as he tried to flee from the children’s hands, and leap onto a nearby pillar or even bravely try to jump into Levi’s arms, to which the man easily sidestepped and resulted in the cat landing headfirst into a flower bush.

 

Disgruntled, Eren untangled himself from the flower bush with much difficulty. “ _Don’t laugh_ ,” he growled lowly at Levi, making sure that no one around them could hear him talk. “ _This is all your fault_.”

 

“I’m not laughing,” Levi shrugged. True, his face was a perfect mask of nonchalance, but Eren didn’t care- he could just sense how much the man wanted to laugh at his misery. Despite the thin line of the man’s mouth, the corners of his lips were twitching in an effort to keep a mocking grin from appearing.

 

"Why don't we see _you_ get manhandled by a bunch of little snots," Eren scowled. He wanted to scream every swear word he knew possible, but restrained himself, settling for bitterly hissing at the man. Getting manhandled by small children and then getting tossed around like a plaything was _not_ fun. He sniffed and rubbed his tail against his bottom; he swore he might have a bald spot from where a kid had ferociously tugged at his fur. Eren liked little children better than most humans, but there were times when children were absolutely terrifying.

 

"I think I'll pass," Levi replied. "And you're just a little snot yourself."

 

"Am not!"

 

Still pissed, the cat hopped onto a tall brick ledge that bordered the sidewalk using a small stack of bricks randomly propped up against the ledge (some wall repairman must’ve accidently left them there) as a ‘ladder’. Energy long gone from his ‘battle’ with the children, Eren languidly crawled along the ledge, which was just slightly taller than Levi.

 

The cat finally tore his eyes off the back of Levi’s head after the man himself refused to turn back to his complaining mewls.

 

Because he had only experienced life in the hoods of the city, Levi’s neighborhood was a quite literally a breath of fresh air for him. While the city reeked of smoke, gas, and hot tar, the neighborhood was afloat with an aroma of dew and a faint odor of flowers. Eren decided he liked the neighborhood; there was something charming about the way sparse flowering plum trees and pale-colored houses dotted the slightly tilting sidewalk.

 

Eren plodded closer to the edge of the tall brick structure and peered down at what was on the other side. There was nothing much to see- just the yard of someone else’s house- nothing of particular interest. There were some nice flowers though, yellow in color and neatly trimmed into boxy bushes. Eren leaned in for a closer look at the flowers, which felt oddly drawn to- they were rather pretty, he supposed, maybe he’d ask Levi for the name of the flowers and suggest to the human to plant some in his own empty garden, which looked lonely and desolate-

 

Until he fell.

 

He fell as ungracefully as an animal could. Eren didn’t even realize he was falling until he felt a rough thump on his bottom and something sharp poke his side. “Fuck!” Eren loudly swore. Luckily, his cat instincts had kicked in at the very last second so that he landed in a strange, twisted position that didn’t cause much pain- except for a dull, throbbing pain in the arse, which bore the brunt of the fall.

 

He savagely slapped away the sharp twig that prodded his side, groaning as his tail massaged his aching bottom. The cat barely had a second to wince about his poor, hurting arse until panic smacked him like a truck at full speed.

 

Oh shit.

 

Where was Levi?

 

Forget Levi- where was he himself?

 

The cat swallowed, his throat suddenly dry with worry.

 

And then came the sudden revelation- he was totally, utterly, and unfortunately alone and lost.

 

Common sense told him to stay in place and wait, but Eren decided against it. After all, he couldn’t rely on just sitting still and being found. Although it sounded like the safest decision, in his opinion, it was utterly useless; he’d have to do something on his own. Thus, he tried to stand up on his two hind legs so that he could see what was hidden from view by the tall house fences, but failed miserably. It was in times like these that he wished that he had a human’s ability to stand on two legs. Giving up, he went about it the old-fashioned way- began to wander off in a random direction, hoping that the neighborhood was small enough that sooner or later he’d bump into Levi.

 

He ducked under countless bushes, sidestepped numerous fences, and passed by at least twenty house yards before he finally found a living being- not exactly a human being, but a fellow cat. It was an orangey-brown cat with a friendlier expression than any other cats he had ever seen. Small specks of dark brown dotted the cat’s muzzle, almost resembling a human’s freckles.

 

 _A Bengal, perhaps?_ Eren guessed. Bengals had an exotic look to them, and he’d met a few before- they all turned out to incredibly arrogant, all having an air of self importance. This tawny Bengal appeared milder than the ones he had seen before, and Eren took it as a good sign.

 

Eren wasn’t sure if he should approach the cat. Although bengals weren’t very vicious, some were just so damn annoying that it made Eren _want_ to fight them. He cautiously watched the cat through the fence dividing the two house yards. It was sitting right in front of the porch; it placidly flicked its tail back and forth, with a concentrated gaze directed-

 

Directed at him?

 

Aware that the other cat knew that he was hiding behind the fence, Eren pulled his wits together and bravely sidled past the fence. Eren began to slowly creep across the yard, praying that the other cat wouldn’t make a scene, or even worse, try to pick a fight. It looked gentle and calm enough, but appearances were deceiving…

 

The other cat abruptly stood up. Eren gulped when it approached him. He inwardly groaned, he had nearly made it completely across the yard. Just a few more steps and he could pass onto the next yard. If only he had walked faster, he wistfully thought.

 

Readying himself for a confrontation with the other cat, Eren slowly turned-

 

“What- who’s cat is that- how the fuck did that thing get in here?”

 

A human appeared at the porch- a male teenager. The human was probably the other cat’s owner. Unlike the genial-appearing cat, the male had an air around him that Eren instantly disliked. Everything about the human’s disdainful expression, clothes that screamed ‘try-hard’, and snotty tone made the cat glare at the human, eyes narrowed in a threatening manner.

 

“Eugh, there are still strays around here?” The male shot Eren a dirty look. “Make sure you stay away, Marco, he might get you sick. You never know that these things carry with them.” His mocking words lacked Levi’s sharpness, instead being said in a sneering, condescending tone that had Eren unrestrainedly spitting and hissing at the teen, who immediately took a step back, wary of the infuriated cat. 

And just like that, the male stomped back into the house.

 

“Wow.” Eren glared distastefully at the human’s retreating back. Unlike when Levi had first insulted him, the sheer stupidity that was in the male teenager’s choice of vocabulary immensely annoyed Eren. As odd as it sounded, he felt insulted to be insulted by someone- someone so… assholey. Feeling the need to vent, he gnashed his teeth together, and spat out, “Your owner is a _jerk_ , you know? How did you end up with someone like- like _that horseface_?”

 

The other cat blinked at Eren’s sudden outburst, cocking his head in a perplexed manner.

 

Eren stared back in the same manner.

 

Well. The tawny Bengal hadn’t run away or attacked him.That was a first, Eren dryly laughed to himself. He had never met another cat that didn’t see him as an enemy after he spoke the in human language. Maybe he would’ve found the situation more surprising if he wasn’t so pissed. “I’m just going to pass by,” Eren quietly muttered to himself. “Yeah. I’ll find where I came from, then I’ll find Levi, and…uh?”

 

Something tapped him on the shoulder. Eren whipped around to find the bengal’s tail calmly tapping on Eren’s shoulder. Eren stared at it, confused. Was this a new way of trying to provoke him into a fight?

 

The tawny cat let out a soft meow, and lifted his tail, jabbing it midair. Still not understanding what was going on, it took a few moments for Eren to catch the tawny cat’s drift. His gaze followed the direction in which the tawny Bengal’s tail was pointing in- pointing to a bush? Was there something in the bush?

 

Suspicious of the cat’s intentions, Eren grew increasingly cautious as he drifted to the bush, keeping his eyes on the tawny cat, which stared back with it’s large, unblinking eyes. Eren used his paws to pull apart an opening in the bush, which revealed-

 

A wall. There was nothing special about it- it was the same wall that Eren was trying to vainly climb to the top of. Figures. A bit disappointed (but seriously, what else did he expect from a cat that couldn’t understand him?), Eren turned back to the bengal. “Well, anyways- thanks for, uh, showing me a wall, although that’s not really what I’m looking for.”

 

Eren squinted his eyes, trying to make out the carvings on the spotted cat’s collar. “Marco. Thanks, Marco.”

 

The tawny Bengal – Marco- meowed louder, almost urgently, albeit in the same good-natured tone. Marco rose up and walked to the bush, joining Eren by the brick wall. He lifted a paw and pressed it firmly against a brick. _What is he doing?_ Eren curiously watched Marco put more pressure into his paw. _  
_

The brick Marco was pressing upon gradually loosened until it suddenly wobbled as it disconnected the cement coating that surrounded it. Eren’s jaw dropped as the brick fell with a _thump_ on the other side of the wall. The gap left from the missing brick was just large enough for Eren to squeeze himself through. Astounded and overwhelmingly pleased, a small “woah” escaped Eren’s open jaws.

“I wasn’t expecting that… well, Marco, you probably don’t understand, but anyways, thanks, I really appreciate it.” 

 

That said, Eren brushed past the tawny Bengal, which just watched with friendly eyes as Eren gracefully flattened his ears and nudged his head into the hole, effortlessly pulling his body through the wall. On the other side of the hole, just a few feet to the right, was the small stack of bricks he had used as a ladder earlier. Eren grinned.

 

That Marco cat certainly was smart, he thought. Reveling at his good luck of being able to find help, gave one last acknowledging nod in Marco's direction, before disappearing from the gap.

 

He began to fervently scale the stacked bricks, excited at the prospect of being able to find Levi. He vaguely wondered if the human might've already gone back home. Eren didn't know his way around here, but he supposed he could try retracing his steps back to Levi's house; after all, he didn't recall there being an complicated twists and turns. The cat nervously gnawed on his front lip, furiously shaking his head as he waved away his worries. All he could do now was try.

 

Had Eren stayed a second or two later, he would’ve heard an almost a faint purr, accompanied with a gentle whisper-

 

“ _You’re welcome_.”

 

* * *

 

 Levi retraced his steps for what seemed like the hundredth time.

 

There was no cat in sight.

 

The man clicked his tongue in exasperation.

_Damn all cats._

 

* * *

 

 

As soon as he climbed his way back on top of the familiar brick ledge with the same brick ladder he had used before, Eren started his panicked search for Levi. His worries turned out to be for naught, as it turned out to be easier than he expected- the man himself turned up just around the corner within mere minutes. It was an odd coincidence, but the cat had never felt more relieved in his life.

 

Levi was walking at a casual pace and appeared downright unconcerned. Eren wondered if Levi was even aware of the fact that he had gone missing a good half an hour ago. Somehow, the thought of the man not noticing made him extremely uncomfortable.

 

Because the man hadn’t spotted Eren yet and the cat was feeling up for revenge (how dare the man leave him to the rowdy children!), the cat bent down and inconspicuously crept along the wall, waiting for the man to pass.

 

As soon as Levi walked by, Eren immediately pounced onto the man's back, keeping a vice-like grip on the man's shirt. Surprised, the man stumbled from the sudden weight, scowling at the little pinpricks of pain caused by the cat's claws. Oblivious to the man's discomfort, the cat happily clung to the back of Levi's shirt, arms and legs sprawled out like he was giving the man an awkward back-hug.

 

“So _there_ you are,” the man struggled to regain his balance. “Can’t say I expected more. Running off to play stupid pranks…”

 

"What makes you think I wandered off somewhere? It was a complete accident, I swear!" The cat gave the man an accusatory glare accompanied by a small sniff of resent.

 

"No, I'm pretty sure someone here got so wrapped up in observing flowers that he scampered off on his own. Funny, isn’t it- I always thought cats knew their way around." Levi returned the glare, but whereas Eren's glare was a mixture of disbelief and grudge, Levi's was heavy with exasperation. "Well, I suppose there's bound to be a runt here and there." The man's lips curved up in mock amusement. Eren sputtered in outrage.

 

"Did you just call me a _runt_?! I am not a runt! I just… I just kind of lost my way."

 

Levi looked at the cat appraisingly.

 

"Don’t look at me like that," Eren scowled at the man’s doubtful expression.

 

The cat retracted his claws and fumbled to return to the ground without falling. To his relief, he landed perfectly this time, unlike his graceless fall earlier. "It was an accident, I’m telling you. I’m not so stupid that I’d wander off by myself. Besides, all living beings are unique. Just because I’m not good with directions doesn’t mean I’m bad with other things." He noted with satisfaction that there were visible holes on the man's shirt where his claws had easily torn through. Levi would throw a fit later, but that was the least of Eren’s worries.

 

"Unique as in resembling a runt, I see."

 

The cat pursed his lips, but thought of a better way to jab at the man. “Why, were you worried?” Eren grinned and cocked his head playfully. "Did you look for me?"

 

Levi rolled his eyes and snorted. “As if.”

 

Eren drew his face into a discontented frown. Would it kill the man to at least be polite and lie that he was worried? Just as the cat was on the brink of complaining to Levi, the man suddenly frowned and reached up, swatted at his neck in an odd waving motion, seemingly perturbed by something.

 

“What is it?” Eren asked.

 

“Nothing, just an annoying fly,” Levi grunted.

 

The cat squinted at the man, zeroing in on his neck. Something was there- beads of glistening liquid- was it rain? That was odd, considering that the breeze was strong today and they hadn’t walked at a fast enough pace to break out in sweat, and it most certainly hadn’t been raining.

Unless Levi somehow ended up under a water sprinkler, which was highly unlikely, Eren was one hundred percent sure it was human sweat. It seemed that Levi was perturbed by the liquid substance on his neck, as the man adjusted his shoulders and rolled them around as if he had a crick in his neck ( an effort to get the terrible, bacterial bead of sweat to go away, Eren was sure).

 

Eren smiled smugly.

 

“What, so you _were_ worried.”

 

* * *

 

That was the night he had his first nightmare.

 

It started with darkness and ended with darkness.

 

He woke up in a cold sweat, his heart painfully thundering against his chest. Trembling, the cat blinked owlishly in the darkness. Was he still dreaming? Was the pain in his head just his imagination?

 

He never had a nightmare before. Even dreams were a rare occurrence, and when he did dream, they were extremely faint and about trivial matters. But this- this nightmare, or torture- had been so vivid. It had been so _real_. He could almost _remember_ -

 

Something was rattling inside his brain. The pounding in his head was relentless; it beat a quick, unsteady rhythm like a metal ball repeatedly rattling inside a glass container. Eren forced himself to take deep breaths, giving away a few shuddering gasps at the splitting headache. Suddenly, everything came back in full force- but in cluttered bits and pieces, foggy and unclear.

 

His name.

 

Needles.

 

Cold.

 

Some pain, maybe.

 

He couldn’t remember.

 

He couldn’t remember _anything_.

 

Panic coursed through his blood like a thousand needles. The cat felt weak as he struggled to get up on his unsteady limbs. It took a few attempts and immense effort for him to shakily stand up. Too dizzy to stand straight, he half-dragged himself out of the blankets that were messily strewn around him.

 

Where was he? The last thing he remembered was-

 

He stopped.

 

What was the last thing he remembered?

 

His mindscape was utterly blank, devoid of anything. It was a vast space of emptiness.

 

It was night- that much was obvious. He looked around him- a unfamiliar house. He looked to his right- there was a faint streak of light that stood out starkly against the dark- a door crack, he realized. _Levi’s bedroom door_.

 

The aching thudding of his mind immediately ceased with his sudden realization. Right. He was in a human’s house- Levi’s house. A seemingly invisible barrier broken, the memories flooded back, sending warm tingles down the cat’s spine and into the very tip of his tail, which curled appreciatively around his body. The cat breathed deeply, lungs straining to contain the cold air.

 

He could hear a muffled voice that dipped into low octaves, seemingly bantering with someone else from the other side of the wall- Levi’s voice.

 

Eren shifted, slowly edging closer to the comforting source of light. He slowly crawled to the door crack and crouched down, pressing an ear against the wall, eyes trained on the slim opening.

 

“Got it,” Levi was saying, pacing back and forth, his shadow flitting past the hiding cat’s face. “Mm… yeah, I know. Yeah. A flashier header? That’s fine. Yeah… yes… no, what the fuck, Erwin? _No!_ Take it or leave it, I’m not going to spend any more time on this one… yes, I do, actually… well, wouldn’t you like to know? Yeah… yeah… I’ll have it on Friday, I’ll drop it off at your apartment, don’t piss your pants about it… mhmm… okay.”

 

Eren’s ears unconsciously tilted forward as he tried to decipher what Levi was saying. He deduced that the man was talking with someone on a strange device that he had recently learned was a ‘cellphone’. He used to see cellphones quite often on the streets, but didn’t know what they were called or what they were for. It turned out that cellphones were like an upgraded, more sophisticated version of walkie-talkies. He was quite curious about them, and he hoped that one day Levi would let him play around on one.

 

 _Who is this ‘Erwin’, though?_ Eren wondered to himself. Probably an acquaintance of Levi’s. Maybe even a friend? If so, the cat dearly hoped this Erwin was sane. He didn’t want to meet another insane friend of Levi’s - he shuddered, remembering his incident with Hanji. That had not been the most pleasant of his experiences.

 

“Eavesdropping, are we?”

 

Levi suddenly appeared at the door crack, causing the cat to let out a surprised yelp. Caught off guard, the cat stared up at the man, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to come up with a possible explanation.

 

“N-no, I just randomly woke up, and heard your voice, so…” the cat sputtered, his as eyes wide as saucers. Levi didn’t look convinced as he looked Eren up and down, and muttered, “Right.”

 

“Yeah… so…” Eren trailed off. “I guess I’ll go back to sleep now.” He awkwardly trotted back to his mess of blankets and arranged them in a snug circle, swallowing nervously when he felt Levi’s penetrating stare focused on him.

 

“Hey, brat.”

 

“What- oof!” Something heavy and soft fell on top of Eren, masking his vision. _A blanket?_ The cat pushed the fabric out of the way of his eyes and looked up questioningly at the man.

 

“Use that, you’re shivering.”

 

Eren blinked, confused. It wasn’t cold at all; rather, with the blankets all around him, he could almost say it had been sweltering hot. Eren looked down at himself.

 

He was indeed shivering.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (MARCO TALKS WHAT--)
> 
> Anyways, I have this huge obsession with rewriting things, so sorry for the late updates.
> 
> A warm thank you goes out to the kind people who reminded me to update on here + yelled at me on tumblr (4tae), it really motivated me- once again, I'm super sorry for the lateness!
> 
>    
> thank you for 4k views! *blushes intensely* I'm happy yet also embarrassed haha.


	6. the cat and unusual tepidity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warmth is rare, but precious.

**vi.**

 

There were no more nightmares after that.

 

That one nightmare had come and passed suddenly and swiftly, and Eren was glad it did. He thought he might just die if he ever suffered through one more nightmare. That one experience was enough for him- just thinking about it had him quivering like a wobbly, negligible piece of jello. It wasn’t frightening per se, but was bone-chilling in how real and oddly familiar it was. Perhaps the most odd thing was that the cat couldn't shake off the feeling that he had forgotten something important.

 

“Is it just me, or is it fucking cold?” Levi clicked his tongue with distaste and drew his eyebrows together into a pensive frown. “That’s odd- I turned on the heat, too…”

 

Eren idly rolled over from his spot beside Levi’s legs, where he had nearly nodded off. Blearily opening and closing his heavy eyelids at the man sitting on the couch, he responded with a grumpy, “It’s just you.”

 

“Uh huh,” Levi didn’t sound very convinced. He growled and clutched his jacket closer around his body, and gave the most imperceptible shiver, much to Eren’s quiet amusement. The cat never thought that he’d see the day where Levi was truly annoyed by something; most of the time, Levi treated annoyances with a detached sort of dislike, but here he was, giving off a lethal aura of hate for the cold. Perhaps that was one thing they had in common – their hate for the cold.

 

“You’re shivering too, in case you haven’t noticed,” Levi pointed out. “Hypocrite. And stop clinging onto my legs, that’s gross.”

 

“ _I’m not_ \- wait, I am,” Eren made a noise of incredulity. He raised his paw, which was shaking like a frail leaf in fierce winds. “That’s odd. I’m not cold, though! Maybe you humans are just… weaker to the cold?”

 

“Ridiculous,” Levi scoffed. “I think it’s the other way around. Now remove your claws from my legs, I don’t need anymore holes in my clothes. You already owe me for ruining my shirt the other day.”

 

Wondering what in the world a cat would have to offer when they ‘owed’ something, Eren lethargically retracted his claws from the man’s black slacks and scooted back away from Levi’s legs, where he had unconsciously snuggled against in his half-asleep daze.

 

“Maybe the heater is broken?” Eren suggested.

 

Levi immediately scoffed, eyelids dropping at the preposterous idea.

 

“It was just a suggestion,” Eren scowled. “Oh - maybe you left a window open?”

 

Like how a genius might appear when faced with a simple addition problem, Levi threw Eren the heaviest look of disdain he could possibly manage. “Like hell I’d do that when when it’s clearly-” Levi motioned to the window behind him, “- _raining_ outside.”

 

“Right,” Eren muttered. “I think that you humans are just too sensitive to the cold. That would explain this, ah, _mystery_.”

 

“Taking the easy way out isn’t the solution, and I’d be damned if I just ignore this,” Levi shot back. His lips quickly twisted into a grimace as he shook once again, shivers running up his spine and arms. “There is _no fucking way_ I’m going to sit here shivering like a miserable, drowned _cat_ for the rest of this month.”

 

Insulted by the metaphorical use of his own species, Eren purposefully jabbed a sharp claw into Levi’s calf, and was very much satisfied by the jolt and grunt of pain the man returned.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Levi stayed true to his words, and after two painful days of research and the relentless calling and employment of house maintenance services, he finally uncovered the reason for the less than pleasant temperature in the house.

 

The verdict- most unfortunately- was that by some stroke of bad luck, the pipes in the house were leaking, the insulation crumbling, and the cement that supported the roof was beginning to crack. It would take a week, or even two weeks at the most for the repairmen to fix all the damage in the house’s structure. The maintenance crew _kindly_ told Levi that during those two weeks, he would need to reside in some other shelter such as a hotel or a friend’s house.

 

Levi _kindly_ told them to fuck off.

 

Grumpy beyond belief, Levi cursed his bad luck into oblivion, and that ended up being the first time Eren had ever heard such… heavy use of _colorful_ language.

 

In the end, Levi relented and apologized to the maintenance crew, who accepted his apology grudgingly. It was quite easy to tell that Levi didn’t feel apologetic at all, seeing that he took out his vexation on his belongings as he violently threw things into his suitcase, muttering words – _nasty_ words, Eren speculated- under his breath.

 

Once they - _Levi_ was all packed up (Eren had nothing to bring along, after all) and seated in the man’s leather car seats (Levi claimed that leather was an easier surface to clean), an intrigued Eren found himself bubbling with excitement.

  

“So where are we going?” Eren piped up.

 

“A friend’s,” Levi grunted.

 

Eren held back his snarky retort of ‘ _You_ have _friends_?’ and instead pondered on the identity of this mystery “friend”.

 

“Is it Hanji?”

 

Brief silence.

 

“ _Hell_ to the fucking _no_ ,” Levi answered with abject horror, dragging out each syllable. “What – no- why in the world would I even- I don’t even know what to say to that. Let’s put it this way- would _you_ like to live with Hanji for two weeks?”

 

Eren thought for a moment. _Probably not_. “Then… is it Erwin?”

 

“How’d you know about Erwin- oh right, you were _eavesdropping_ ,” Levi snorted with sarcasm, and Eren immediately cried out in response “ _Was not_!” Levi continued, “But yes, it is Erwin.”

 

Eager to uncover the mystery behind this ‘Erwin’ fellow, the cat pushed on,” So… this Erwin… he’s your friend?”

 

“Friend. Boss. Whatever you call it.”

 

“Your _boss_ is your _friend_?” Eren asked in a shockingly loud voice.

 

Levi swore sharply as the car swerved to the right, just barely brushing the curb. “ _Yes_ , and now that I’ve satisfied your curiosity, do me a favor and shut up. I’m driving, and I’m not inclined to die due to some stupid car accident,” Levi barked. Eren sulkily complied and held his mouth shut for the rest of the ride, which all in all wasn’t as long as he thought.

 

Less than fifteen minutes later, Levi parked the car, hauled his luggage out, and dragged a half-asleep Eren out of the passenger car seat. Eren yawned as he stumbled behind Levi, noting that they were in the mountains, with a majestic city night view bending around the high ledge that they stood on. Eren followed the man up the long trek up the driveway-

 

\- to a fucking mansion. The first thing Eren thought was that wow, Erwin must be _loaded_. The residence was built in the style of an ancient Greek building with about six marble pillars standing at the front, yet slightly modernized so that it didn’t look too out of place. Little light poles surrounded the building, giving it an eerie, orangey glow that emphasized the whiteness of the marble building.

 

Eren’s second thought was that unlike Levi’s lack of house décor, Erwin was lavish with decorations, and hell- there was a miniature moat around the mansion, complete with a small, lush waterfall by the door. Eren experimentally dipped a paw in the moat as soon as he was within reach, and flinched when something slimy brushed his paw.

 

Fish. There were fish in the moat- and that itself was enough to send Eren reeling back into a state of shock at the fairytale-like setting of the mansion. He hardly registered the ringing of the doorbell and approaching footsteps until the door opened to reveal a stately, but genial looking man. Clad in a formal shirt and black trousers, the man looked nothing less than impeccable.

 

 “Levi,” Erwin addressed in a clipped tone. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

 

Eren let out a series of quiet, choking coughs. _Humble_ abode, he said. From what Eren saw from behind Levi’s legs, the mother-of-pearl sheen on the marble floors and vases that looked like they could sell for millions was anything but humble.

 

“Hey Erwin,” Levi casually greeted. “I see that your house is uselessly extravagant again.”

 

“Well, I don’t have any specific opinions on it, but I hope it’s to your liking,” Erwin chuckled. “I had my assistant and some interns decorate it for me for a business gala last week.”

 

“But you’re obviously enjoying the decorations, seeing that they’re still there,” Levi rolled his eyes with disgust at the crystal chandeliers and gold plated mirrors that decorated the walls and ceilings.

 

Erwin shrugged. “Maybe. I’m thinking of keeping the moat and the waterfall, though. Don’t you think that they add some flair?”

 

“Like hell I’d know,” Levi scathingly said.

 

“I’m joking,” Erwin sharply raised his eyebrows and grinned. Eren noticed that unlike Levi’s aristocratic, sharply angled eyebrows, Erwin’s was thick and straight, emphasizing the blonde man’s gentile eyes. “It’ll all be gone in a few weeks time.”

 

“Thank god,” Levi drawled. “I don’t think I’d ever want to visit you again if your house was like this all the time- it fucking _blinds_ _my eyes_.”

 

“You poor soul,” Erwin mocked. Levi rolled his eyes again and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘ _cocksucking asswipe’_ \- and carelessly kicked his shoes away at the rug sitting right inside the entrance. Eren, who had been safely hidden away behind Levi’s legs now sat in plain sight.

 

Erwin paused, lips barely pursed open in an ‘o’ at the sight of the cat and he blinked once, twice, then thrice before stating, “It seems that there’s a stray cat behind you, Levi.”

 

 _And who are you to say something about it?_ Eren silently threatened the man in his mind.

 

“Oh, this is Eren,” Levi dispassionately said, waving a hand over the cat. “Eren, this is Erwin.”

 

Eren, unsure of what to do (was he allowed to talk in front of this man?), just kept quiet and bobbed his head as if to acknowledge Erwin. Judging by the thinly-disguised glint of approval in Levi’s eyes, he had done the right thing in not talking.

 

Erwin looked like he was at a loss of words as he slowly drew his eyebrows up in a pinched expression, slowly bending forward to examine Eren. Outwardly, he was still as impeccable as ever- but his confused glance constantly flitted back and forth between Levi and Eren, until it finally landed on the cat and morphed into a hard stare.

 

Eren inwardly gulped and felt the hackles at his back prickling and stinging, raising at an alarming speed. Whereas Levi’s stare was calculative and harsh, Erwin’s was… terribly uncomfortable. It was as if his fur was being plucked out strand by strand, and here he was, an ugly creature sitting hairless and bare and in agony for all the world to see. He instantly felt sorry for whoever dared to ever go against Levi or this Erwin fellow.

 

“Right,” Erwin blinked as he recovered himself, relieving Eren of his excruciating stare. The man tilted his head to the side ever so slightly, and slowly asked, “This… _cat_ … is yours? Pardon me, but I don’t recall you being much of an animal person, Levi.”

 

“Damn right I’m not,” Levi bit out. “But there were some… special circumstances.”

 

Erwin didn’t look satisfied at the answer, but was nonplussed as Eren welcomed himself into the man’s home- _damn, the carpet was so soft_ – and dropped down right on the carpet as he walked straight into a scene that he never in a million years imagined himself to be in. 

 

It was a very, very broad contrast from the streets of filth and Levi’s bland home. It was just spilling- _gushing_ with the literal definition of glamour and grandeur, and Eren had to agree with Levi- the gold and silvers and _rainbow_ s made his mind spin and eyes water.

 

“It’s fine, right? Just checking,” Levi raised an eyebrow questioningly at Erwin

 

Erwin cracked a tight smile, “No, no, of course it’s fine! I’m just… surprised. Do you mind if I…?” He gestured to Eren with his hand, and Eren understood what he was asking for- permission to pet him. Levi shrugged in a silent answer of I-don’t-care-do-whatever-you-like and Eren furiously bit his lip. He wasn’t a stuffed animal to be coddled, for heavens sakes!

 

Erwin hesitated before lightly placing his hand on Eren’s back, slowly stroking his fur, before lingering just slightly behind his ears. Eren unwillingly let himself be patted here and there, sometimes unconsciously relaxing under the pleasant, fuzzy feeling of the man’s large hand before Erwin finally straightened up and made little talk with Levi.

 

Eren trotted behind the two men as they made their way down the unbelievably long hall, zoning out the human language in favor of gaping at the two magnificent sets of stairs that they stopped in front of. The two stairs curved and met at the very top, forming a balcony around the entire hallway.

 

“He might need some extra blankets, the insufferable brat was shivering for the entire past week.” Eren shook himself out of his reverie at the mention of his hated nickname.

 

 “Blankets?” Erwin rubbed his chin with his thumb. “That can be arranged. Quite easily, in fact.”

 

“Nothing overboard, though,” Levi warned. “It’s just a cat I’m temporarily taking care of. Not some pompous company CEO that you’re trying to win over.”

 

“When do I ever go overboard?” Erwin quipped. “And your cat- Eren, is it?- is quite endearing, if I say so myself- there’s nothing wrong in indulging in your furry companion is there?”

 

Eren smugly smiled a discreet smile of victory at Levi, and delightedly purred as Erwin bent down to scratch the cat’s neck.

 

“ _Endearing_ ,” Levi echoed in a deadpan voice. “Endearing. Erwin, really? You gotta be kidding me.”

 

“Sadly, I’m not,” Erwin grinned in a jesting manner and retrieved his hand. “Let’s move on. I’m sure you’re hungry, seeing it is-” Erwin rolled up the sleeve of his dress shirt to reveal a large, silver watch encrusted with little crystals to dictate each number, “- 10 p.m. A bit late, but better than never. I had my chefs prepare a late night dinner as soon as I got your call. I’m sure they can also cook up a little something for Eren.”

 

* * *

 

The dining hall was _glorious_ \- and that was just an understatement.

 

As soon as Eren wandered into the dining room, his jaw dropped in shock at the tall ceiling and long, oak table that might’ve been able to comfortably seat twenty people in all.

 

“I wasn’t sure if Eren would’ve preferred canned cat food, so I had my chefs prepare some impromptu edibles that he might enjoy.”

 

Eren tentatively licked at the small pile of gourmet tuna and was instantly reminded of the first time when Levi fed him chicken- it was _heaven_ in his mouth. The tuna was spiced just right, and the texture, oh lord, the texture felt amazing and smooth over his sanded tongue, and the individual chunks of fish seemingly melted on touch. Embarrassingly enough, he unknowingly let out a small moan disguised as a drawn out mew, which made Erwin chuckle in amusement and Levi frown in disgust.

 

“You’re spoiling him, Erwin,” Levi curled his lips in a frown of displeasure. “When we go back, Eren will be a spoiled little snot who won’t accept anything less than gourmet tuna.” Eren glared fiercely at Levi, his restraint from screaming obscenities at the man splintering more and more by the second. _Will not_!

 

Eren ate his meal in an agonizingly slow pace, determined to relish every little molecule on the plate, and Erwin and Levi soon engaged in a conversation that consisted of jargon that the cat didn’t understand at all. He did catch little bits of the conversation that he could understand here and there, but not enough to sew the pieces into concrete knowledge.

 

“Pardon the sudden change of subject, but is this cat- Eren – perhaps what Hanji keeps raving about?”

 

Eren perked up at the mention of his name, furry ears twitching in attentiveness.

 

“Oh, so you’ve heard?” Levi gave Erwin a cool stare.

 

“Ah, well,” Erwin offered a thin smile. “Hanji does tend to get excited easily. I was curious to see what had caught her attention so quickly and so intensely.”

 

“Excited?” Levi stabbed a poor piece of fillet with his fork and lazily propped it in the air, giving it a bored glance before popping it in his mouth. “That’s an understatement. She is now a rabid and overzealous fan of this… cat.”

 

“She has Bean and Sawney already, right? I wonder what it is about Eren that has perked her interest this much,” Erwin conversationally commented, setting down his eating utensils with a gentle _clink_ against the crystal plate.

 

“What indeed,” Levi muttered grimly. “One can only wonder.”

 

“But I must say, I’ve never seen more charming eyes in a cat than yours. They look almost unnatural, don’t you say?”

 

“Charming, my ass,” Levi deftly twirled the fork in his right hand, stopping it so that the sharp, jagged edges were pointing at the blonde man. “And just in case you haven’t noticed, his eyes are the shade of _neon vomit_ , which is what I see when I look at this plate of food.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Eren would never cease to be amazed by the sheer magnificence of Erwin’s mansion. He got his own room, furnished with brand new cat accessories, cat beds, and toys- even if he didn’t use them, he took pleasure in sitting in the middle of the room and admiring them. The door always remained open, so the cat took the liberty of exploring Erwin’s vast ‘humble abode’ and was not disappointed.

 

Sleeping was a whole new experience in an automatically heated cat bet, cushioned with imported fur blankets and plump pillows stuffed to the max with feathers- it was no longer a necessity or a way to pass time, but an absolute luxury. In the morning, Eren woke up feeling like he had been doused in a bucket of coziness.

 

In less than a day, he had discovered the indoor pool, a built in sunroom, libraries, a bowling alley, and so may other wondrous rooms that he concluded Erwin _must_ be the richest man in the world, if not close to it.

 

When he voiced his question to Levi as they lounged in Erwin’s plush armchairs, which were cozily arranged in a u-formation in front of a marble fireplace, the man dismissed his suspicions with a look of derision and answered, “Erwin’s just an old fart who’s lucky with his money. He’s a normal boss of a normal company, I assure you.”

 

“Really? But his house is-“

 

“Erwin’s house is overloaded, overexaggerated, and a complete waste of money, time, and space,” Levi finished for him.

 

Erwin just happened to appear behind Levi at that second, and Eren immediately closed his mouth and made himself look like the very picture of an innocent, relaxed cat. He ‘meowed’ for the extra effect and batted his paws at his scruffy neck.

 

Erwin plastered an expression of mock hurt on his face- a look that didn’t fit him at all, Eren decided. “Ouch, I’m hurt, Levi.”

 

“It’s the truth,” Levi responded, not bothering to look up at the other man.

 

“Well, at least Eren appreciates my house more than you do.” Erwin gave Eren a small pat on the head and settled down in the armchair directly across from Levi.

 

“No, I’m sure he’s close to tearing out his fur and shedding millions of hairballs over all your uselessly expensive furniture,” Levi droned out tonelessly. “Unless, of course, you consider that an act of appreciation.”

 

Eren let out an audible hiss. He would loathe the day he even considered spitting a hairball onto the expensive mahogany furniture that was polished and gleamed like a fine structure made of diamonds.

 

“Cats will be cats,” Erwin good naturedly waved off Levi’s sarcasm. “Anyways, sorry Eren, but it seems that I’ll be stealing Levi away for a while,” Erwin announced.

 

“That sounds gross, old man,” Levi sounded nauseated as he wrinkled his nose in clear dislike of Erwin’s wording. “What is it now?”

 

“It’s the job that I was talking to you about.” Erwin didn’t look as pleasant before, a quick shadow of displeasure quickly passing his face and evaporating just as swiftly. “The police looked over your edited version of the report of the recent accident and said that it was too traumatizing for the readers. Anyways, they want to meet with you one-on-one to go over any possible revisions.”

 

“I kept it truthful, which is what they asked for,” Levi said indignantly, exasperatedly running his hands through his hair in furious, quick sweeping motions. “Fucking hell, it’s not like the readers are complete pussies. But fine, if they want to be, so be it.”

 

“Just try not to upset them too much, they already… ah, dislike you a bit,” Erwin carefully said. “They originally didn’t want to have this meeting, but I convinced them to do it, so…”

 

“Worried that your reputation will be tarnished? Don’t worry, I’ll treat them very, _very_ well - they won’t have _any_ complaints once we’re done,” Levi said with a satisfied smack of the lips, baring the tips of his teeth in a mocking smile. “Besides, you can always offer them little ‘ _gifts of appreciation_ ’ to make up for anything bad that happens.”

 

“I don’t do bribery-“

 

“But you do,” Levi sourly shot back. “What’s the point of banquets or dinner parties then?”

 

“Right. Okay, whatever, you win, Levi,” Erwin held his hands up in surrender. “I really need you to go to this meeting and take it seriously, okay? And Hanji phoned just a few minutes ago and said she’s visiting, so don’t worry about Eren being lonely.”

 

 _Oh hell no_. Eren didn’t bother holding back his horrified gasp.

 

“Hanji and the little brat, together in your mansion full of your flimsy, breakable decorations… sounds like a recipe for disaster,” Levi stonily remarked.

 

“I’m sure Hanji will take care of herself and Eren just fine,” Erwin said, although Eren could detect a degree of uncertainty in his firm voice.

 

Right on cue, a loud, high-pitched yell of “ _Eren_!” rang through the mansion, echoing off the walls and making the cat wince at the ringing in his ears.

 

“Levi and I are going out for a while, so be a good boy with Hanji, okay?” Erwin reached out to pat Eren’s head. Expertly playing his role as an adorable cat ( _stuck with a cranky, insufferable owner_ , Eren added) Eren tilted his head against Erwin's palm, earning a chuckle from the blonde man and a snort of derision from Levi.

 

“I don’t mind if you piss all over the carpets, but just don’t cause any trouble for me,” Levi said in a brittle tone, then reached down and softly but quickly swatted Eren's behind.

 

Eren yowled loudly, because hell,  _the man had just slapped his rear_. It took all his self-control to not swear colorfully at the man, but he didn't hold back on anything else- he spat and screeched at Levi, even going as far as to lunge forward with his claws outstretched. Levi caught him midair, and Eren twisted and turned as Levi held him outstretched with both hands from underneath his armpits, before unceremoniously dumping him onto Erwin's lap.

 

“Levi!” Erwin admonished, but laughed nonetheless as he soothed the wayward fur of Eren's coat with gentle hands. Eren glared at Levi, hoping to convey that yes, this was how he was supposed to be treated, and not like... a pest. Even if he was a stray, a _wild_ cat, he could at least use some respect from the man. Levi merely raised his eyebrows, as if saying ' _So_?' and sipped nonchalantly from the decanter in front of him. 

 

Hanji appeared in the doorway, face flushed with an emotion that could only be described as overly excited. “We’ll be back at a quarter to eight, and please try not to break anything, will you Hanji?”

 

“You have enough money to replace them anyways,” Hanji said dismissively, not paying attention to Erwin but instead rapidly fluttering her eyelashes at Eren. “But since you asked so nicely, I’ll give it a try!”

 

With another chuckle and a sweep of his coat, Erwin and Levi left, leaving Eren and Hanji by themselves in the luxurious room. Hanji plunked down in the largest couch and threw her arm on to the armrests, looking all too comfortable and out of place with her mismatched clothing and goggles. 

 

Clueless to what he should do, Eren awkwardly looked at everything but Hanji, observing the tiniest specks of dust sitting on the black carpet under the cherry wood table. Quite frankly, he was still intimidated by Hanji, and much like Levi, had absolutely no idea how to handle her. He could only pray that she wasn't _too_ crazy today.

 

Hanji looked pleased at herself as she asked, “So… what’d you think about Erwin?”

 

“He’s okay,” Eren fidgeted with the corner of the rug, amusing himself with looping some loose threads around his claws.

 

“Aha!” Hanji brought her hands up and squealed loudly into her palms as she frenzily kicked her feet against the floor. She teetered in her seat, but managed to control herself with a breathy, “Sorry for that. Every time you talk, I just can’t help but feel like- like my heart is being squeezed to bits! I’m normally not like this, but!”

 

Feeling quite sure she was always like that, Eren offered her a nervous, twitching smile.

 

“They seem close,” Eren commented, voice mercifully not cracking, while his tail stood erect, visibly tense from Hanji’s loud outburst. “Levi and Erwin, I mean.”

 

Hanji stroked her chin in a thoughtful manner. “Erwin was the one that introduced me to Levi. Those two go way back, but I’m not really clear on how they met or anything like that.”

 

“Really,” Eren muttered. “So Erwin’s known Levi longer than you did?”

 

“Oh, _way_ longer,” Hanji said. “Erwin was the one that introduced me to Levi. Levi is a funny little thing, isn’t he? Oh, don’t tell him I said that though- he would murder me in my sleep.”

 

Eren sorted that information into the back of his mind, just in case. He was sorely tempted to tell Levi just to spite Hanji for no reason in particular.

 

“But it’s interesting, isn’t it? They’re completely different people, yet they’re rather close. One day, I’ll have to ask Erwin more on how he met Levi…”

 

“ _Interesting_?” Eren echoed incredulously. “Erwin’s the perfect representation of a rich master while Levi… Levi could pass from someone from the mafia!- wait, no, Erwin acts like he could be from the mafia too, but maybe is just less crude…” He trailed off “Uh, Hanji? Are you… are you okay?”

 

Hanji was smashing her fists down on the armrests repeatedly, peals of insane laughter erupting from her shaking figure. She was throwing her head back and forth, her ponytail continuously whipping her face as she managed out, “Erwin and Levi in the mafia! I haven’t laughed this much since- oh, I don’t know… but you do know Erwin is Levi’s boss, right?”

 

“Yes, and he told me he was an editor, although I’m not too clear on exactly what that is,” Eren frowned contemplatively.

 

“Oh, he’s the editor in charge! He didn’t have any credentials for it, but Erwin gave him the job anyways. Is that what they call getting jobs through connections? Anyways, he does his job perfectly, so no one complains about it,” Hanji excitedly explained. “He just does things like edit our reports and stuff. It’s really boring, so you don’t need to know about it. Not a lot of our researchers like him though, because he’s _terribly_ nitpicky… and you know, that attitude of his.”

 

“So Erwin is kind of an editor too?” Eren asked, confused.

 

“Well… Erwin is the owner of a structure- network, perhaps- of news corporations of sorts,” Hanji corrected. She pursed her lips, her hands held out in front of her and grasping at the air listlessly as she continued, “He owns a bunch of newspapers and news channels. I don’t know how to put it in simpler words… just think of him as a business tycoon.”

 

Business tycoon. Eren immediately imagined Erwin with flashy sunglasses and a suit, surrounded with piles of money as the man himself danced, green slips of money raining down from above. Now _that_ he could see.

 

“And he doesn’t know?” Hanji suddenly asked.

 

“About…?”

 

“Your talking,” she pointed to her mouth.

 

“He doesn’t,” Eren shrugged. “I think Levi prefers it if he doesn’t know, too.”

 

“Yes, that may be for the best,” Hanji agreed. “Levi was being careful. I suppose he knew that it’s best to keep quiet about these kinds of things- even if they’re close, it’s best not to take chances.”

 

She paused.

 

“Although, I mean, I guess that those two could be counted as family. Brothers, maybe? No, I think partners is more like it- but all I know is that when Levi went through a rough patch in his life a few years ago, Erwin-” Hanji babbled on until her expression suddenly grew stern, and her shrill voice died down into the ghost of a whisper, “Erwin, he-“

 

She grew silent and shuddered, an odd look on her face. She drew her face into an undistinguishable expression, the lines around her mouth taut with something akin to uneasiness. Her right arm shot out, knocking down a china vase that shattered upon the impact with the floor. The reddish pieces, remains of the expensive vase, clattered and severed into smaller pieces, and Eren hurriedly moved away to avoid getting hurt.

 

He mentally apologized to Erwin. Confused and alarmed, Eren urged, “Hanji? Are you okay? What were you saying about Erwin…?”

 

And then Hanji slumped in her seat so that her head limply hanging and her chin was closely aligned with her chest.

 

“Eren…”

 

Eren grew worried at Hanji’s odd behavior. “Yes?”

 

Hanji’s head shot up and her eyes rolled back until her pupils were nowhere in sight as she rocked back and forth, her body wracked with shivers- no, not shivers but _laughter_ -

 

“Erwin, he - oh god, Eren, I can’t stop imagining Erwin as a mafioso,” Hanji croaked, eyes wet and shining with unshed tears as she collapsed into another round of uncontrollable laughter. “Can you even imagine it?! What am I saying, of course you can, you were the one that came up with the idea in the first place, but-“ She lunged in her seat, panting for breath.

 

“Uh, yeah,” Eren gave her a disbelieving look and slowly inched away from the hysterical woman, completely convinced that she had gone mad.  “… sure, Hanji.”

 

“Oh my god,” Hanji gingerly lifted her goggles and wiped the leaking tears away with the back of her hand. “Eren, you’re the best.”

 

Not too sure what to say, Eren questioningly answered, “Thanks?”

 

Thirty minutes later, the woman was still out of her wits- by then, her ponytail was tangled into odd knots like little birdnests, her clothes were all rumpled from shifting back and forth in the armchair, and her face was red and puffy with laughter. The goggles were thrown aside on the table, forgotten as the woman continuously batted at her eyes, trying to calm herself, which quite evidently, didn’t work.

 

Spooked and very disturbed by the woman’s antics, Eren sat on the other side of the room, putting as much distance as he could between him, Hanji, and the pieces of the broken vase.

 

This was the scene that Levi and Erwin returned to- an odd one, to say to the least- but neither seemed too surprised, treating it as a normal occurrence.

 

“We’re back- Hanji, are you alright?” Erwin inquired, slinging his coat over his shoulders as he sidled into the room. Levi appeared right behind him, much to Eren’s relief. Erwin didn’t look as upset as Eren would expect him to be; the man had on a calm mask as he surveyed the mess on the floor like it was no big deal. Eren guessed that Erwin didn’t expect Hanji to keep the room intact in the first place.

 

“’m fine, ‘m fine,” Hanji was still twitching uncontrollably with laughter, not looking apologetic at all for the broken vase on the floor. “It’s just Eren said- ah, what am I saying, he doesn’t talk, of course - Eren was being hilarious!”

 

Levi assessed Hanji with scorn, looking at her as if she was a lost case. “Leave her alone, Erwin, she’ll come to her senses in an hour. Hanji’s mind is long gone- if you get too close, you might be infected with some crazy viruses.”

 

Eren silently agreed.

 

* * *

 

 

Unlike the first night where Eren was utterly blissful with sleep, tonight was a completely different affair. He felt as if he was aching all over, and the tip of his tail quivered uncontrollably as he restlessly tossed and turned. Every time he was at the brink of sleep, something itched at his mental walls, jolting him back into full awareness.

 

For a moment, he wished that he could be in his old makeshift bed back at Levi’s house- at least the lack of fur would mean that his nose wouldn’t be aching with the urge to sneeze every five seconds.

 

But alas, perish the thought! What in the world would make him think that old, rumpled blankets were better than the expensive fur blankets that he was cocooned by? Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to his mind. Eren dove deeper into his bundle of blankets and effectively managed to cover his entire body. Completely buried under the many layers of fur, Eren forced his eyelids shut and tried to relax in his soundless, dark cave.

 

All his efforts were for naught, because he still felt cold; not in the literal sense, but in the way that he felt… empty and queasy in the stomach. The indescribable feeling made him squirm uncomfortably as he pawed at the blankets, trying to adjust himself into a more comfortable position.

 

He gave up a mere minute later. Maybe a little walk would help him sleep?

 

With a flourish, he shoved the blankets aside and took a deep gulp of air and darted out of his room, silently trotting next to the banister and down the hallway. The mansion, engulfed by the darkness of the night, made the hallway seem longer than it actually was, and gave off a spooky vibe that gave Eren the jitters.

 

Erwin ought to put less mirrors on the walls, Eren thought _._ If the man was that rich, he could at least afford to install nightlights in his gigantic, hard-to-navigate-through house. Eren didn’t dare to look up at any of the decoration mirrors, in fear that something unnatural would appear.

 

Eren had no idea where he was going, but mentally tracked his progress down the curving hallways so that he knew how to get back to his room. He loathed thinking of what might happen if he got lost in this vast labyrinth of hallways.

 

Just as he entered a corridor to his left, he noticed a light coming from a door. Deciding to take a little peek at who was up at this inconvenient time of night, he poked his head into the doorway, only to butt his nose against something scratchy and yell a loud, “Ow!”

 

Rubbing his hurt nose, Eren winced and looked up to see Erwin towering above him. Apparently the man was on his way out just as the cat was on his way in, and Eren had smashed right into the man’s leg.

 

Wait. Did he say ow? Feeling a bit cautious, Eren quickly jerked away from the man and added a hasty, high-pitched, “ Ow…me…ow. Meow,” that sounded so utterly fake that Eren almost gagged from the its horrendousness.

 

“Eren? What are you doing here?” Erwin tiredly smiled, although it was still an affable smile. He reached down to pet Eren- damn, the man was _touchy_ \- “Are you perhaps looking for Levi? His room is next door, but I would advise you not to disturb him at this time of night-“

 

Eren ducked and skirted away from the man’s hand with a sneer of contempt in favor of squeezing himself into the room next door, chin raised haughtily at his successful attempt at avoiding the blonde man.

 

Letting out a brief sigh, Eren quickly assessed the room with his enhanced eyesight, his eyes zeroing in on the dark silhouette of a bed at the very corner of the room. It was an ornate four-poster bed, and the mattress was raised such a mighty height above the ground that the cat couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Levi’s body. Eren groused to himself at how he might go around maneuvering his tiny body onto the tall bed.

 

He lumbered around the giant bed two or three more times, before throwing away all mental inhibitions and deciding to savagely claw at the bed sheets as if he was mountain climbing- but instead of a mountain, it was the vertical edge of a bed.

 

It was a more daunting task than he had expected. With one last thrust of his front paws, he propelled himself up and flopped the front half of his body onto the mattress. As he took a moment to rest, he considered that maybe he should have taken Levi’s advice and done more than just sleep- he was completely out of shape compared to his time in the streets. Heaving a much needed lungful of air, he gritted his teeth and pushed down until he managed to plunk himself face-down onto the cool bed sheets.

 

He figured that he wasn’t very quiet in his actions, which was only proven when a formerly limp form on the bed stirred and a husky voice spoke out, obviously irritated in tone.

 

“Who…?”

 

“E-Eren!” The cat stammered. “It’s me, Eren.”

 

“What…” Levi sleepily groaned, and then abruptly fell quiet. Eren patiently waited, hoping that the man didn’t fall asleep. Meanwhile, he carefully inched up so that he was in line with Levi’s eyes. The man’s eyelids flitted open ever so slightly before closing firmly upon seeing the cat right next to his head.

 

A minute later, Levi spoke up warningly, voice dark and full of murderous promises,” What do you want?”

 

“Can I sleep here with you?”

 

“No,” Levi snappily answered, and turned away so that Eren was facing the back of his head.

 

“Please? It’s cold,” Eren complained miserably. Levi rotated his head backwards, sluggishly blinking as his face clouded with confusion, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

 

“Cold? With all those fur blankets?”

 

“Kind of,” Eren pressed on, scrunching his face. “It’s really uncomfortable.”

 

He put on his best begging face and stared at Levi with big, imploring eyes that clearly attempting beseech Levi to accept his request.

 

Levi pressed his lips together into a thin line.

 

The man didn’t fall easily, of course, but his drowsiness evidently weakened his resolve because he eventually faltered when Eren staged a small, pitiful sniffle.

 

“Just this one time, because they’re Erwin’s blankets and bed, not mine that you’ll be dirtying,” Levi relented and grudgingly lifted up the corner of the blanket in a reluctant, but welcoming gesture. Eren happily dove under the covers and attacked the pillow next to Levi’s, curling into a fetal position with a satisfied sigh. Victory had never tasted sweeter. He could even dare to say that it tasted better than Erwin’s platter of five-star tuna.

 

Eyes burned into the side of his head, and Eren twisted around imploringly at the man. Levi lowly threatened, “Don’t cling to me or scratch me in your sleep, or you’ll be dead meat- and I won’t hesitate giving you to Erwin’s chefs to cook for my next meal. Got it?”

 

“Yes!” Eren dutifully chirped in response, ignoring the piercing glare that Levi had not brought down yet. Content and very much comfortable, the cat let himself sink into the fluffy satin pillow, ears drooping as he settled into a relaxed state of mind.

 

A hesitating warmth dropped down on Eren’s head, squashing his ears to the sides of his furry face, and lingered for a brief second. Not daring to open his eyes, let alone breathe- the cat silently took pleasure in the finger that rubbed a slow circle behind his ears, relieving the knots of tension that had built up over the course of the days. Unlike Erwin’s silky touch, Levi’s touch was of fine gossamer, surreptitiously smoothing over his fur and slipping away like a delicate ribbon of water, leaving behind tingles of warmth.

 

Even when the feathery fingers quickly slipped away unnoticed, Eren continued to bask in the warmth, vaguely aware of the hazy sleepiness that gradually took over his mind.

 

It wasn’t the kind of prickling, stuffy warmth that one might feel when they were next to a roaring fire or bundled up in blankets, but a filling, soothing warmth that reached into the deepest crevices, embracing the darkest and most frigid of things and places. It made Eren feel _whole_ , like he was embedded in the warmth itself, comforted in the gentle caress of its nonexistent arms.

 

This, Eren mused, was definitely warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> March 27, 2015, to anyone that sees this:  
> I'm not dead. I swear. I have not abandoned this.  
> I'm really busy at the moment- anyone who has gone to an art college understands my pain ( I sleep 4 hrs max a day and work 3 part time jobs). Also, I'm homesick. I miss my mom (don't laugh) :c 
> 
> Thanks to anyone who is rereading this story! I feel completely disappointed in myself- I let a lot of you down, but I'll try to make it up.  
> I will try to update as soon as I can! I have all the chapters outlined, it's just the writing I have to do.


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